fate's Choice
by Tsukiko03
Summary: It's a new year at Ever After High and Raven feels like everything is starting to go her way. The Storybook of Legends has been destroyed, Apple is her friend, and Dexter has asked her on a few dates. Unfortunately, fate has different plans. During the first day she feels a sudden shift in her feelings that changes everything. Rapple, Dizzie, KittyxCerisexMaddie, Dexpid.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes. Hello everyone. A few weeks ago I was looking for some bio information on the Ever After High characters and came across this site by chance. I didn't understand what these stories were, so I clicked on one of Sigmu's novels to see what it was all about. Needless to say, I was blown away! I must admit, I am completely unfamiliar with fan fiction, so if I have made any mistakes (or social blunders) please let me know.**

 **I was so intrigued with the idea of fan fiction that I just had to try one of my own! It is incredible how fun it is to write about a world that has been flushed out already and to know that the readers already know (and like) the world. I know that there is a part of this first chapter that seems to happen very abruptly and seems unnatural. Please trust me, that is on purpose and will make sense later!**

 **your community here seems wonderful! I'm glad I stumbled upon you all. I hope you enjoy my first attempt!**

 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 1 - Cats, Birds, and Wolves**

Fall had come to Ever After high and the trees were preparing to dress up in their favorite yellow, orange, and red costumes. Summer was finally releasing its warm hold and blissfully cool days were settling in. So much had happened over the last two years. So many traditions destroyed, so many rituals debased. The storybook of legends was gone, all magic released from its ancient frame by a reluctant Raven Queen, and now half the school intended to move on with their fairy tales and the other half were just waiting to see what life would throw at them.

A new year was beginning which meant a whole new batch of students and already the new entries were trying to decide whether they were going to be royals or rebels. Most had been raised by generations of tradition and found the idea of rebelling terrifying. Without the stories, what was the point of Ever After High?

It's funny how important stories are. Thousands of years ago some truly morbid things had occurred. Things so strange, evil, or just plain silly, that people couldn't help but retell them. They sat around fires and dinner tables and told the stories so often that they became beloved. Of course they changed with each telling. It was impossible to know what had actually happened all those years ago, and in truth, that wasn't really important. It was the stories that were important now. So important that they had been repeating them, generation after generation, for hundreds of years.

How important is a story? Important enough to force kingdoms to reenact them and for people to base their entire lives around them. To give up who they were so they could pretend to be someone who died long ago. At Ever After High, you were who you were told to be. Not who you wanted to be.

Until Raven Queen came along and shattered everything. It was such a mundane revolution, all high school drama and childish temper-tantrum, but it's implications were widespread, and no one understood the chaos that it would bring to a society obsessed with stories. So many things changed after the story book of legends was destroyed. So many people decided to take their destinies into their own hands and shape them as they saw fit.

And so this is a story about people obsessed with stories. This is one person's tiny revolution during a time of a million revolutions, and perhaps this one will help change everything, or it will become just another story of the past.

"Well you're feeling very philosophical today, Mr. Narrator!" a bemused and slightly miffed Maddie Hatter says to her dorm room. Her roommate Kitty stretches and then puts her pillow over her head, trying to block out the noise. "But you might want to keep it down, some of us are trying to sleep!"

Understood, Maddie, understood.

 **First day of the semester: Morning 5:30AM**

Her weapons gleamed in the candlelight. Everything was polished and ready to use. She had been preparing all summer. Today was the day. She sat quietly meditating, but her mind wasn't quiet. Raven had showed them all the way. She had boldly stood in front of everyone and proven that you would not disappear if you didn't follow your destiny. Watching her deny destiny with absolutely no consequences meant that for all of them, there was no judgment. No overarching power seeing over everything. The world was all chaos and happenstance and she was gifted, with no discernible reason, with a very unique set of skills. This was in her lineage. She had the power to take what was hers, therefore she had the right. What did a little blackness on her soul matter if she finally had her way?

It would be such a quiet sin. No one would notice. And would it even be a sin if it would cause good? If it finally put things the way she knew they should be? She ignored the feeling in her gut and let her heart and mind take over. This was the right thing to do. This is what she did. This is how it was supposed to be.

 **First day of the semester: Morning 8:22AM**

Cerise Hood could sense that something was off. Her ears twitched under her hood while she looked around the castleteria, trying to spot the disturbance. Something wasn't right. Maddie was chatting at her, and Raven, like always, was off in her own little world. Everyone was busy eating lunch or talking. Cupid was just walking in and sitting down next to Dexter and Daring. Ginger Breadhouse was taking bites of her food and scribbling in her journal. Apple had just come in a few minutes earlier and, of course, that had caused a ruckus. Everyone seemed to dote on the spoiled princess. Daring was was staring at himself in a mirror and making sure there was nothing stuck in his teeth.

Nothing looked out of place. Perhaps her nerves were getting to her. She tried to calm down and join back in her conversation with Maddie, when Raven suddenly stood up and left. She watched her friend leave, her sense of foreboding returning. She could smell the witch's magic, bubbling up, close to the surface. Something was definitely going on. Just as Raven left, Cerise noticed Kitty Cheshire slowly blink out of existence. She stood up and followed Raven. Perhaps kitty was up to something?

Raven was nowhere in sight, but Cerise had no trouble picking up and following her scent up the stairs and into the girl's dorm. Fears ran through her head a million miles a minute. Raven had been a trouble magnet ever since she started school. One fear played strongest in Cerise's head. Raven's mother. She let out a low growl, her eyes turning a deadly shade of yellow, and followed the trail, speeding up as she went. The scent led to the showers.

Cerise wasted no time slowing down. She gave the door a strong push and it slammed open. Raven let out a little yelp and turned to face her friend, her hand suddenly glowing menacingly. When she saw that it was only Cerise she extinguished her magic and fell back against the sink. Her hand over her beating heart.

"Cerise, You scared the hex out of me!"

"Is everything okay? You left in a such a rush!"

"I'm fine, I just needed to wash my face." Raven answers lamely, her face betraying the fact that she also knows it's a terrible excuse.

"Come on Raven, I'm your friend, talk to me."

"I'm sorry, I just, got a little flushed, I don't know what happened."

"It's about Dexter isn't it?" Cerise let's out her breath, not realizing she'd been holding it. It's obvious that whatever's going on isn't as bad as what she'd been imagining.

Raven runs her hands through her hair and lets out a sigh, "I wish it was about Dexter. I don't think he'll ever get up the nerve to ask me out again. Every date is a struggle. It is like a herculean task for him to ask me out again, even though I've already said yes to him every other time he's asked. The truth is, it's beginning to feel like it is more trouble than it is worth."

Usually when Raven talks about Dexter her face lights up, but this time the words come out without any excitement. They seem forced.

"Yeah, a little shyness can be cute at first, but I imagine it can wear thin pretty fast."

"It sure does."

"Raven, I know I've said this a million times, but you are my friend, no, even more, we are a pack. You know more about me than anyone here." Cerise's hand moves up unconsciously and rubs her ears through the top of her cloak. "I've got your back. Anything you need, I'm here for you." Cerise walks up to Raven and puts her arms around her. "We're a pack, understand?" Raven returns her friend's hug.

"I know. Thank you." She gives Cerise a smile. Suddenly the room is filled with the sound of an alarm. Raven pulls out her mirrorphone and groans. "I gotta go, I promised Apple I would help out in her Damsel in Distress class this afternoon!"

Cerise lets out a laugh. "Well that should be fun!" The sarcasm in her words is impossible to miss. "Why did you agree?"

"I don't know, she is so serious about us being 'frienemies' and I have really put a damper on her time here. She was so hexcited when she met me and was so looking forward to us working on her fairy tale together and I ruined it all for her. I feel like I should try to work with her every once in awhile." Raven puts her mirrorphone back in her bag and heads out the door.

"Have fun with that!" the door closes slowly and Cerise is left with her thoughts. Or is she? She checks her reflection in the mirror and let's the moment stretch before turning to the seemingly empty bathroom.

"Come out Kitty, I wanna talk."

A mad grin appears, followed by the rest of Kitty Cheshire. As always Kitty is wearing mostly purple and her purple hair is done up in two pigtails on the side of her head. Her entire face is all smile. Cerise's eyes flash a menacing yellow in response. She hasn't forgotten that very recently, Kitty almost revealed her family's most guarded secret.

"Why are you skulking around following Raven?"

"Why Cerise, you know I have the same heightened senses you do. Something chaotic is going on here and I wanted to follow that scent. Maybe blow on the fire a little bit, help the chaos along."

"What did you find out?"

"Oh, that is for me to know. Why should I share my information with you?"

Suddenly, and without warning, the floodgates open and Cerise is livid. She knows a lot of her anger is coming from her 'almost' de-hooding recently, but she's worried about Raven as well. A low growl slips from her throat.

Kitty lets out a tinkling giggle. "You are too easy Cerise. Your little witch is stronger than you and she is so damaged. I saw her in here. I know what she's feeling, but I'm not going to tell you. It's more fun to watch." Kitty slowly begins to fade away until only her bright Cheshire grin is left.

Cerise doesn't listen to a word. Her mind is a thunderstorm of rage and the laugh sets her off. This girl, this crazy disrespectful cat girl almost destroyed everything for her and now she laughs. It was time to teach her a lesson. Unfortunately, she's almost disappeared, so Cerise does the one thing she can to vent her rage. She grabs on to that smile.

Suddenly the world goes cold around her and she is caught in what feels like a tailspin. It is impossible to tell which way is up and which is down. Kitty lets out a yelp and wraps her arms around Cerise in an iron grip. All thoughts of struggling or fighting leave Cerise's mind as she puts all her energy into trying not to pass out. Her stomach lurches as Kitty whispers through clenched teeth. "Hold on to me Cerise, hold on tight. Don't let go. The wind howls in Cerise's ears and rips Kitty's words away. She catches glimpses of color as her eyes scan wildly, trying to locate where she is, but everything is moving too fast. Suddenly something heavy hits her in the back of the head, she turns quickly to catch sight of a dusty old book flying out of sight. She just turns her head back when a clock hits her in the cheek and then tumbles off into the whirlwind all around her. Tears spring to her eyes from the pain in her cheek and the pure cold insanity all around her. The wind burns her face. She closes her eyes. It's too much. She feels her consciousness slipping…

And then it's over. The world solidifies and she is laying on top of Kitty in a grass field. Birds chirp playfully all around and Cerise realizes she is still crying. Her stomach is lurching and she has to focus on keeping her breakfast down. She wills herself to move, but her body won't respond. The two of them stay entwined on the grass, Cerise shaking violently and finally finding her voice. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you." Her pride is shattered. She has never been so afraid, so disoriented, and so embarrassed.

"You're okay. I got you. We made it." All of Kitty's malice has melted away and her voice is filled with comfort and just a touch of fear. Cerise still can't bring herself to move. She is fighting dizziness and the after effects of an adrenaline dump.

"You're doing something to Raven and I promise you this. I will protect her with everything I have. I'm not going to go down easy. You caught me off guard this time. It won't happen again."

"Actually, it was you who caught me off guard. I can't even begin to tell you how dangerous that was. And I promise you, I'm not doing anything to Raven."

"Yes you are. You're doing something to Raven and you tried to give away my family's secret. Did you think it would be funny to let the world know that my mother and father chose to ignore their destinies. Can you even comprehend the backlash? Why would you do that to us? What have I ever done to you?"

Kitty moves her hand slowly up Cerise's back and lightly caresses her wolf ears. Her hood had fallen in the whirlwind. Cerise tries to fight back, but she still can't move. The cat is quiet and Cerise senses that she is confused.

"Why would you hide these? They are beautiful! Why would you hide your ability to run faster than anyone else? Your heightened senses? You are the bravest girl in this school and also the most cowardly. I've never seen anyone so opposite! So… topsy turvy! No one has ever gone with me during a transport. You are extremely lucky. More lucky than you understand."

Cerise makes no reply. Kitty's words seem genuine. She is truly confused and suddenly Cerise begin to wonder if she didn't misunderstand the entire situation. She trembles. She cries, but she doesn't move and in the end, she's not sure if it's because she can't, or doesn't want to.

 **First day of the semester: Morning 6:30AM**

Raven sits up in bed and rubs the dreams from her eyes. The room is still dark, but a dim gray glow on the horizon tells her that the sun is about to come up. She stays in bed for awhile, watching the sky lighten and enjoying the last few moments of warmth from her blankets, then sits up and places her bare feet on the cold wooden floor. The floor squeaks as she stands up and the sound meets her ears with a small tinkle of nostalgia born from months of repetition. She finally feels like she is getting used to her life at school. She sneaks a glance over at her roommate, Apple White, who is asleep in her bed, hoping she hadn't woken her. Apple's slightly parted lips and deep breathing let her know she hadn't. She quietly collects her clothes for the day and heads out into the corridor.

Her dorm room is at the end of the hall, furthest from the shared bathrooms. She passes door after door of her friends and peers. The raw wood of the corridor creaks with every step and mingles with the early morning bird song. Most of the doors she passes are quiet, but she can hear some movement and even talking behind others. She can hear Maddie talking, which is odd. Maddie is never up before her. She stops to listen for a moment but her mad friend's words make no sense. Something about philosophy and narrators. She giggles quietly and continues on to the bathroom.

It takes Raven about an hour to ready herself for the day. As she showers and dresses girls slowly stream into the bathroom, rubbing their eyes and yawning. The conversation gets more lively moment by moment. About twenty minutes into Raven's routine, Apple files in with Maddie close behind. Maddie is chattering excitedly and Raven can tell that Apple isn't listening to a word of it. Their eyes meet and Apple gives her a look that says "How does Maddie always have so much energy?" Raven shrugs, gives Apple a smile and goes back to combing her hair. Apple yawns and starts to unbutton her pajama top as she heads into the shower.

When Raven finally makes her way to the castleteria breakfast is in full swing. The room is filled with chatter. Raven walks to her friend's table and sits at the farthest end. Dexter catches her eye as she sits down. He is sitting with his brother, Daring and Hunter. She gives him a smile and a wave. He waves back, then looks away quickly, but not before Raven catches a blush spreading across his face. She happily notes that he is getting up his nerve to ask her out again. Cerise, Maddie, and Cedar all greet her as she sits down. Talk quickly turns towards schedules and what their new classes would be like.

A few minutes later Apple enters the room. Her roommate is a total ham, who loves a great entrance and Raven has to admit, the princess has a way about her. The only way Raven could describe Apple's charm was a kind of naive and humble narcissism. Their relationship has been rocky, but she is proud to count Apple as one of her friends, albeit a friend that is annoyingly obsessed with her own fairy tale, something Raven has made very clear that she has no intention of being a part of.

Suddenly, Raven feels a warmness invade her as she watches Apple. She inhales sharply. The feeling seems almost… foreign. She can't seem to take her eyes off of her silly roommate. She tries to clear her mind and let the sensory details of the scene imbed themselves perfectly into her brain while she tries to understand this odd feeling. She looks around the room. She watches Maddie nod in the affirmative in response to something Cedar said but Raven couldn't hear because the many conversations were forming into an incoherent drone. She rubs the edge of the lace tablecloth between her knees and smells the scent of her friend's perfume.

Raven, through many years of having to navigate the world without people her own age, interacts with memories like a collector. She wants to taste them, to swish them lightly in her mouth and find every subtle nuance before ingesting them, and this memory was the first she has ever wanted to keep that involves Apple. The moment seems almost… poetic.

Nobody can captivate an entire room like Apple. She has a charm that is so strong, so humble, that you can't help but be swept away by it. Usually Raven is immune to it, but today she is suddenly very susceptible to it and she doesn't understand why. She clamps down on this new found appreciation for her roommate and tries to figure out where it is coming from, but it is impossible to explain. It is a million little things combining to make one perfect whole. The way she wears her clothes, the fabric seeming to come alive around her. Her thick blonde hair falling like water to her waist.

Raven looks around her confused. Her eyes travel back to Dexter, one of her favorite people to watch, but he suddenly seems positively uninteresting. Thoughts of Apple spring to her mind. Apple's angry face when Raven announced she wouldn't sign the story book of legends. The way her eyes look down at her feet every time she apologizes to Raven, which had been quite a lot!

All at once the warm feeling that has spread throughout her body intensifies and she can't stop her gaze. It travels across the castleteria to Apple, who, Raven is surprised to see, is staring back at her. The princess gives Raven a small wave and a smile. Raven waves back as she feels her face turning red. What is happening?

Without any warning Raven stands up and leaves the room. She can feel her magic inside of her, ready to erupt all around her and she has no desire to deal with a panicked castleteria all screaming "evil" and pointing at her. She has to get out so she can find someplace quiet to sit and think. To find a way to curb this entirely strange new sensation.

Raven finds her way upstairs and into the bathroom and splashes water on her face, hoping to calm down, but the image of Apple in her mind keeps filling her entire body with this new found warmth. Her cheeks are on fire, but most of all she is drowning… drowning in thoughts of Apple White. Apple white unbuttoning her shirt to head into the shower. Apple White asleep on the bed, her lips slightly parted. Apple white smiling. Apple White, Apple White, Apple White!

She puts her hand on the mirror and leans in with her head down, trying to gain some control over this new feeling. After a few minutes the images of Apple recede as does the warmth that has spread throughout her body. It doesn't disappear, it just kind of finds a place in her gut and radiates there. A place that until a few moments ago, had belonged to Dexter. Once she feels a little more in control of herself she looks at her reflection in the mirror and wonders 'What the hell is wrong with me?'

A few seconds later the door slams open and she is suddenly face to face with a very nervous Cerise Hood.

 **First Day of the Semester - Night, another time zone**

Somewhere, far to the west in a kingdom far far away from Ever After High, Cloe, daughter of Clotho, an incarnation of the three fates wakes with a start. She isn't quite sure what has woken her, but she has always been taught that the world is a living entity and it will take you were it needs to, and show you what you need to see, so she gets out of bed, rubs her sleepy eyes, and goes out into her cave home to see what is happening.

You'd think that it would be uncomfortable to live in a cave, and on this count you would be wrong! the cave is full of modern convenience and is just as comfortable as any house. She can hear her mother chatting in the work room with Aunt Lachesis. Their voices are filled with worry and confusion, which draws the young girl to them. Eventually, she can catch their conversation.

"The problem can be traced to Ever After High, but I Can't see whose thread it is, this knot is intense." She grunts after speaking, obviously trying to undo the knot they were discussing.

"Here, let me help you. You hold this part and I'll pull from here and hopefully…"

They both let out happy little yelps as the knot comes undone and they are able to isolate the problem thread. Clotho pulls out the thread and they both stare down at it for a few seconds. After a moment, Lachesis sighs, steps over to the far side of the room and picks up the phone. She dials slowly and deliberately, then puts the phone up to her ear.

"Hello, Yes, we have a problem… Ever After High. Some form of fate change… Raven Queen. Understood. Speak to you soon." She drops the receiver into its cradle and walks back over to the thread.

"We need one of our own inside the school. But who?" Clotho pinches the bridge of her nose while she thinks.

Cloe quietly bows her head towards the earth as a sign of thanks and then steps into the room.

"How about me? I'm the right age. send me to Ever After High."

Both Clotho and Lachesis turn and regard the young girl who just barged in.

"She is the right age." Lachesis tilts her head in thought.

"And we could pull her out once this is taken care of and send her to school here" Clotho seems a little nervous as she speaks. This is her daughter they are discussing and she'd never been so far away from home.

"We will have to consult Atropos. We will let you know when the decision is made." Lachesis turns back to the thread and rolls it between her fingers.

Cloe bows and returns to her room. She throws herself down on her bed and stares at the ceiling. A new adventure would be starting soon. A visit to a whole new place. A smile of excitement crept slowly across her face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: So, I gave Epic Winter a watch and really enjoyed it! However, this story was completely conceived before watching it. The only real effect Epic Winter has on my story involves Daring Charming, they went a completely different direction than I did! So keep that in mind as you're reading this! Also, for some odd reason I wasn't able to post Chapter two as one entire piece. I had to break off the final scene of the chapter and upload it into a different file. So, when you read this please know that you need to go on to the next chapter to read the end of chapter two. Thank you for the follows and kind reviews, it makes writing this a lot more fun when I hear from all of you! I hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2 - A Fairy Tale, A Queen, and a Lonely Prince**

High above Ever After High a lonely mountain tickles the clouds. Within the mountain is an old cave that Maid Marian uses for her Damsel-in-Distressing class. Raven makes her way up the mountain as fast as she can, but she has to stop for a breather every now and again. Unfortunately, class has already started by the time she arrives. She sneaks in as quietly as she can and stands next to Apple, who takes her hand and gives it a squeeze as a thank you for coming, which sends a spark through Raven's body. Again, this new feeling baffles Raven, but it is impossible to ignore. Her strange new feelings for Apple don't seem likely to go away. Maid Marian finishes her lecture and thanks Raven for coming.

"So class, please make sure to practice your fainting and, more importantly, your princessly trust. Today we have a special guest in class, Raven queen. Thank you so much for coming!" Maid Marian pauses for a moment to let every one clap a little. Cerise, Briar, and Ashlynn all smile and wave. "Now Apple, if you and Raven would come up here, we'll get started."

The two girls walk up to the front. Apple stands by Maid Marian proudly, like a child who is receiving special treatment for bringing something amazing to class for show and tell. Raven stands meekly, one arm crossed over her chest and holding on to her other arm, just above the elbow, a nervous tick of hers.

Maid Marian spends the next few minutes introducing the fairy tale and giving some personal insight into how the tale was performed with Apple and Raven's mothers so many years before, then, after a brief setup, Raven is doing the last thing she ever wanted to be doing: standing in front of Apple with a basket of apples under her arm.

"Now by this point the Evil Queen would have cast a spell on herself to look like an old woman. Are you advanced enough in your studies to demonstrate that for us?" Maid Marian looks at Raven sweetly.

"Umm, I think it would be better if I avoided casting any spells right now, my magic is a little… wonky sometimes."

"No problem dear. Class, just imagine that raven has transformed herself into an old woman. okay you two, go ahead." Maid Marian gives them the floor.

"Umm. Okay…" Raven looks around at all of her smiling friends faces, then over to Apple who is sitting on the stone slab just outside the caves mouth, pretending to pick flowers, takes a deep breath, and starts her lines. "Why hello little miss." Apple turns and a look of confusion crosses her face, as if she has no idea who is standing in front of her. Apple is good. After a pause Apple puts forth her best smile. the entire area seems to brighten. Maid Marian nods approvingly.

"Why hello! I'm sorry, you shocked me! I'm not used to visitors out here. What brings you this far into the forest?" Apple gives a languid blink after her lines, her long eyelashes tickling her cheeks.

"Not many people know this, but not far from here there is an old enchanted tree upon which only the choicest fruit grows. I am just returning with a basket full of delicious apples." Raven's lines come out flat. She is trying to match Apple's enthusiasm, but her heart isn't in it.

"Oh! I'm not familiar with this tree, but I do wish I was, I adore apples!" With this Apple leans forward, trying to get a better look at the fruit in Raven's basket. Raven holds up the basket and searches through it, pretending to look for the best Apple.

"Well, for a pretty little thing like you, I'm sure I can spare one, yes, here you are, a perfect red apple for the most beautiful girl in the land." Raven wants nothing more than to be somewhere else.

"Why thank you, kind old woman, but I have nothing to pay you with." Apple's eyes are ablaze with happiness, which somehow makes this idiotic role playing for a destiny Raven will never fulfill worth it.

"If I could stop you for just a moment. Class, notice that Apple is completely trusting of the stranger with the apples? It is our job as damsels to always be kind, even if we are unfamiliar with the person to whom we are speaking. great work you two, please continue."

"Well my pretty, for you they are free. For this apple so matches the color of your lips it is indeed yours already."

"Well in that case, thank you very much." Apple reaches out her hand and takes the Apple, lightly brushing Raven's fingers as she does. She flashes her perfect smile, rubs the fruit on her dress and looks up at Raven, obviously so immersed in the story that Raven is sure that Apple sees only an old woman. She slowly brings the apple up to her mouth as the entire audience, even Raven, watches intently. Nobody makes a sound or moves a muscle and the sound of Apple taking a bite from the apple is deafening. After her bite, she brings her hands up to her throat as if she were choking, then falls on to the stone slab dramatically. her butterfly eyes closing. after a few moments the class erupts into applause. Apple is a natural and for the first time Raven is a bit sad she's not going to be part of the fairy tale.

Raven walks over to her, gives her dress a flourish, and lets out the most pitiful excuse for an evil cackle ever after. She can see her friends wince at how bad at is.

"Perfect job Apple and Raven. Of course now would be the time that Apple's prince would come into the picture, but recent events have left us without a volunteer for princely duties."

A prince. Daring, no not Daring, Darling! Raven has thought about this a million times, but only now does this mystery start to make sense. Before she even realizes what she's doing, Raven speaks.

"If you'd like I think I could play that part as well. I've rehearsed this fairy tale a million times so I know all of the parts." Raven's statement is met with lots of whispers from her classmates and a raised eyebrow from Maid Marian.

"By all means! And thank you for being so accommodating."

Raven runs into the cave and grabs a sword, pauses for dramatic effect, then bursts forth as if she has just discovered a new place. This is a part she has always heard, but never acted out and for some odd reason it is highly enjoyable!

"What have we here, a fair maiden lying dead amongst the trees of this accursed forest?" She steps forward and leans in close to Apple. She can smell Apple's perfume and she finds herself a little weak in the knees. She takes a startled step back.

"Alas, not dead, but fallen into a sleep as cold as death. Breath still gathers firm within her delicate frame. A slight hint of cool air plays against her red lips. Lips as red as blood. Methinks I have never spied a maiden as beautiful as this, were she awake I would throw myself at her feet for I find myself beguiled by this forest beauty. My heart beats louder in my chest than ever it did in battle. Is this love?"

At first Raven delivers the monologue in a mock princely voice (using Daring as her reference) but as the monologue wears on, her voice drops, the words taking on a meaning to her she'd never considered. Where before the words were just trite (and ridiculous when you get right down to to it) now she feels that perhaps she understands them a little better. She gets down on her knees, her face close to Apple's and continues, as the class and all of her peers melt out of existence.

"Would that she could see me. That I could behold the color of these closed windows and see the soul that lies within. Would our souls speak the truth of true love? Methinks they will. Why? Why must it be you, you in cursed sleep. All that I can do is steal one kiss so that perhaps my soul can speak what words cannot, lest they fall on closed ears." Raven leans in. It is only her and Apple. All thoughts of this sudden change in her feelings slip away. All fear slips away as she brings her lips closer until they are sharing the same air.

"Was it always you?"

Apple's eyes pop open at Raven's departure from the script. Blue, blue, ocean blue. This is the closest Raven has ever been to her princess and she can read confusion, awe, and, perhaps, a touch of excitement? Raven knows she is going to kiss her, it's all she wants, and Apple doesn't seem to be stopping her, but before she closes the final inches to those red lips Maid Marian breaks the spell.

"Perfect job, Raven! I must say you give Daring a run for his money! Who knew you were such an outstanding actress!" As she speaks Maid Marian takes Raven by the shoulders and pulls her away from Apple, who sits up on the slab and watches Raven go. Is that sadness in her Princesses' eyes?

"She plays a better prince than a villain," Ashlynn states teary eyed. "That was beautiful. Her words, so complimentary, bring Raven back to the present and she realizes that her peers had just watched the most intimate moment she has ever experienced. With this realization Raven is flooded with embarrassment. She can feel the color rising in her cheeks, so she makes her way into the cave to return her sword, terrified by the prospect of having to return to class, having to speak with Apple.

So, she waits in the cave, fumbling around and acting like she doesn't know where to put the sword.

XXX

Cerise watches Apple hanging around the entrance of the cave quietly while all the other students are raving about Raven's performance as a prince. 'This isn't going to fix itself without a little intervention,' she thinks to herself as she heads over to Apple.

"Hey Apple, I just got a hext from Hunter that there is a deer caught in a fence and he can't calm it down enough to get it out."

Apple looks over to Cerise and bites at her bottom lip as she thinks. "I guess I should go help." She looks longingly at the cave, then turns around and starts heading down the mountain. "Tell Raven I'll see her tonight."

"Will do!" Cerise watches Apple get a ways down the mountain before shooting Hunter a hext telling him that Apple is looking for him and if she asks about a deer he should tell her he was able to get it loose from the fence. By the time she is through no one is in sight near the cave except Maid Marian who is busy packing up her things.

"They're all gone, Raven."

Raven lets out her breath. "Thanks, Cerise."

"You bet, everyone was talking about how wonderlandiful your acting was. Where did that come from?"

"Just really got into the part I guess!" Raven smiles awkwardly as her eyes beg Cerise not to push on this one.

"Well it was fantastic."

"Thanks! Listen, I've got to go see to Nevermore. I'll catch up with you later!" Raven waves as she backs out of the cave and starts her way down the mountain.

'hmmm,' Cerise thinks to herself, 'couldn't be… but maybe…' It looks like it's time to have that discussion with Maddie. She's been putting it off for way too long and it has been slowly eating away at her. Maddie is her friend. Raven is her friend. They know her family's secret and they still accept her. Now it is time they know _her_ secret.

The Wonderland Haberdashery and Tea Shoppe is at it's busiest when Cerise enters and quietly heads to the back to find Maddie. A group of students from the school are freaking out because one of their friends walked into a room they _thought_ was the bathroom, but turned out to be one of the shop's famous portals to another dimension. The students are trying to set up a chain to pull their poor friend out.

Cerise finally finds Maddie sitting at a back table talking to her Dormouse, Earl Gray. The Dormouse nods at Everything Maddie says.

"Hey Maddie." Cerise pulls up a chair and joins her friend.

"Oh ho! It's Cerise! How are you today, Cerise? Care for some tea?"

"Absolutely."

Maddie holds a cup upside down and over her head, then precedes to poor some tea up into the cup. Cerise accepts the cup gratefully, careful to turn the cup right side up as she accepts it. Once she held a cup offered upside down by Maddie for a little too long and the tea all dropped into her lap. It's easy to forget that it is Maddie that keeps things wonderlandiful, without her influence things have a tendency to go back to normal.

Cerise is suddenly incredibly nervous. She looks down into her tea, trying to figure out how to begin the conversation she's always known she'd have to have with her friend. She felt ready when she walked in the door, but now her bravery is leaving.

"Oh! Hey, did I tell you that I had an interesting experience with Kitty earlier?"

"Do tell!" Maddie leans forward and puts her elbows on the table."

"Well, you know how mad I was at her for trying to out my family's secret to the school?"

"Was?"

"Was? Oh! Yes, was, I'll get to that in a minute. Anyway, She's was skulking around Raven acting all… Kitty, so I confronted her. Well, we got a little riled and she tried to fade away so I grabbed onto her in order to keep her there."

Suddenly Maddie spits her tea out all over the table. Cerise isn't expecting it so she jumps to get out of the way.

"You did what?" Maddie almost screams.

"Yeah, I kinda… Her smile was the only thing left of her so I kinda… just… grabbed it." Cerise pulls on the front of her hood as she speaks. Maddie seems almost angry. Perhaps she broke some kind of Wonderlandian tradition.

"I'm sorry Maddie, I was just so angry."

Maddie suddenly jumps up, comes around the table, and starts to inspect Cerise, even going as far as sniffing her. Cerise pulls her cloak around her and tries to pull away from Maddie.

"Are you okay? Did you lose any limbs or digits? Let me see your toes." Maddie starts going for Cerise's feet, which are extremely ticklish. Cerise laughs as Maddie starts pulling off her shoes.

"Maddie… Maddie… MADDIE!" The Wonderlandian stops and looks up at Cerise.

"Yes?"

"Stop tickling me feet. Why this reaction? Did I break a cultural rule or something?" Cerise tries to pull her hood down, again. Maddie stares at her very seriously, so seriously that Cerise starts to get nervous. After a few moments Maddie bursts out laughing. Laughing so hard she ends up rolling on the floor. Cerise joins in with an uncomfortable and confused laugh.

"No silly! You didn't break a tradition or anything, you just almost got yourself killed!" Maddie continues to laugh hysterically.

"Wait, what? Killed?" Cerise is shocked. "How?"

"You are not used to, nor do you have the proper power, to travel as Kitty does. The fact that I'm sitting here talking to you is a miracle! I mean, what are the chances?" Maddie is finally sitting back in her chair, wiping her streaming eyes.

"The chances for what?"

"Oh, that is not for me to say, but…" A small chime comes from Maddie's wrist. "Switch!" Cerise get's up and moves to the Dormouse's place and Maddie moves into hers. This has become so normal to Cerise that it doesn't even phase her. She gets up, keeping Maddie intensely in her stare, and gets comfortable in her knew seat. Once everyone is settled Maddie continues as if she'd never stopped.

"…you should definitely speak with Kitty. If she wants to tell you about all the laws of her method of travel she can. She'd be much better at it."

"I see. I'll do that. Actually, Well, the thing is, I think I might have misread the situation with Kitty trying to out me. I think she was trying to tell me to be myself. I think I kinda… saw a different side to her, a side I really didn't hexpect!"

"Kitty is a mad little darling who loves to stir things up, but she is also one of the kindest people I know. The side you saw of her is her true self." Maddie actually seems a little sad as she speaks, which is new.

"yeah, I feel like a little bit of a fool." Cerise states as she stares down into her tea. She takes a deep breath and dives in. (To the conversation, not the tea silly) "Actually, that's not the reason I came to talk with you. There's something I've been wanting to tell you for awhile, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it. Anyway, something happened with Raven and Apple today that made me realize that it is time." Cerise can't seem to crawl far enough back into her hood.

"Oooh, sounds serious! Let's hear it!"

"You and Raven are my best friends ever after and I want to be honest with you about everything, so… Um…"

Suddenly Maddie is raising her hand and bouncing up and down on her seat like she is trying to get the teacher's attention.

"Um… Maddie?"

"Yay! I love this game! I wanna finish the story! Ever since you were a little girl you've liked doing boy stuff and when other little girls were starting to notice boys you were noticing the girls and now you are one-hundred-percent sure that you are gay." Maddie puts her hand down, picks up her tea and takes a sip while doing a little victory dance.

"How did you know?"

"Duh! Raven and I both know! We love you and it's pretty dang obvious once someone gets to know you!"

"Raven knows!" Cerise's mouth drops open in shock.

"Um hmm! We were wondering when you were going to tell us. Nothing to fear my little wolf girl. All your secrets are safe with us!" And with that Maddie jumps up and gives Cerise a quick hug. "I must say, I am honored that you were finally able to trust me enough to tell me!"

"Wow! Um… Wow! I don't know what I did to get so lucky. You guys are the best friends a girl could wish for! I gotta go find Raven!"

"Go, she'll be happy you've taken this step!"

And Cerise left to find Raven. In her excitement she didn't notice that Maddie's face was strained and pale. She left so fast that she missed the dam breaking as she ran out the door. She missed Maddie covering her face with her hands and sobbing as if her very soul was broken.


	3. Chapter 2 Continued

Daring Charming is staring into his locker aimlessly, his thoughts elsewhere, when he hears a group of girls coming down the hallway. Before he realizes he's doing it he has lifted his mirror and started smiling at his reflection. The girls round the corner and stop in their tracks to properly swoon over him. He pretends to be too interested in his mirror to notice them and they eventually wander off. Once they are out of sight he lowers the mirror and lets out a sigh as he wonders who is putting on the biggest act, them or him?

Why is he still acting like this? He isn't Apple's prince anymore, somehow Darling is, so why continue with the charade? He leans his head against his locker and grimaces, trying to suppress the thought that is blooming in his mind. Maybe the charade is the only thing left of him. maybe he's just Daring, the imbecile narcissist, Apple's stupid would-be-prince, and the man who fits nowhere. His throat aches as he suppresses the tears that threaten to spill forth. 'Who are you now, Daring? A lapdog abandoned.'

Suddenly he feels delicate fingers wrap around his wrist, warm and comforting. Has Apple finally realized that he needs her now more than he ever has before? He opens his eyes, anticipating Apple's big, blue, worried eyes, but when he blinks away the tears he is staring at an equally worried Lizzie Hearts. He instinctively raises his mirror to his face and tries to smile.

"Off with your mirror!" lizzie slashes her fingers over the mirror and it cuts at the handle, falls to the floor, and shatters. Daring stares down at the shattered bits. 'That's just about right', he thinks to himself, the hint of his trademark smile still playing at the corners of his mouth. Lizzie looks around the halls and then drops her voice. She's no longer using the future Queen of heart's voice, now it's Lizzie's voice, quiet, reluctant, and just a little bit scared.

"You look like you could use a friend right now."

Daring can't respond. He knows he'll cry if he opens his mouth. He just nods dumbly and lets Lizzie take him by the hand and lead him wherever she wants to. He's a little nervous that someone might see them, but then he remembers that this is Lizzie, she won't let anyone see them.

Before he knows it they are in Wonderland grove and he can finally sit down. Lizzie sits across from him as a little table runs up with tea on it. Lizzie doesn't try to talk at first, instead she sets about preparing the tea. She stirs his for a bit and then pushes it towards him. He halfheartedly drinks a sip and is surprised to find it is absolutely delicious! The tea seems to mingle with his blood and spread warmth all throughout his body. He looks up appreciatively.

"This is a special blend of tea that is passed down from queen to queen in my family. It is rarely used and only for people of very high distinction."

"Well you probably shouldn't be serving it to me then." Daring puts his cup down.

"Enough of that. Tell me how you are doing? I notice Apple and Darling have been getting a lot of attention ever since Darling woke her, but you are more often than not alone." The Queen creeps slowly into her voice as she speaks.

"Can I tell you something that only my family knows?"

"Of course!"

"I've never really cared about my appearance. I don't care about mirrors or my smile. It's all a show. A very precise performance taught to me when I was younger." Daring picks a blade of grass and rolls it between his fingers as he speaks.

"Your parents made you act like you are obsessed with your own appearance?"

"Not my parents, no."

"Who taught you?" Lizzie leans forward.

"Apple White."

Apple White, his princess. Beautiful, cold Apple White. Apple White walking into the panting jaws of a giant dog, her eyes steely and her dainty little fists clenched at her side, while he cowered against a tree sobbing. Apple White, sweet and sour, angry at him for his fear. His weakness.

"Why?" Lizzie leans back, exasperated.

"Because I didn't fit her idea of a Prince Charming. She wants everything to be perfect and that means shaping everybody around her to be perfect as well. Even all the girls here at school swoon over me more for Apple than me. It's all part of the show. Apple thinks I don't know, but she is grooming me for the long run. I have to be the most popular to be her prince, but I can't be so popular that I take her limelight once we are married. If everyone thinks I'm handsome then I am worthy. And if everyone thinks I'm vain and dumb then they will assume it is Apple doing all the work once we're married."

"So she gets her perfect prince. Everyone will be jealous and you get to be swept under the rug after your fairy tale is complete. Doesn't sound like a very good deal for you."

"The crazy thing is, Apple will get her way, she always does. Honestly, there is a strange brilliance to it that is hard to explain… I'm not sure if she is calculating and manipulative, or innocent and stubborn. Somehow it's both. There is this darling childish side that demands things go her way, and then this dark obsessive side. I should be glad that I'm not her Prince Charming. It frees me to be who I really am, but I don't want to be who I really am. I don't even know who I am, I just wanna be who Apple wants me to be, because… I still love her." Daring can't even bring his eyes up to look at Lizzie.

"You know She is in love with someone else, right?" Lizzie lays her hand over Daring's.

"Of course I know. Everyone knows, except Apple herself, that she is in love with Raven. That's why I loved being her prince. It was a guaranteed win. She would never be happy with me, but she would at least be with me. I would have a place in her life. Now I'm worthless to her."

"Daring, look at me." Lizzie gets up on her hands and knees in order to bring her face closer to his. The weight of her hand on his tingles. He slowly looks up and into her green eyes.

"I know a lot about putting on an act. I am destined to be the mad villain in my story. You and I are birds of a feather. The trick is, you never let the act consume you. It's all for show. It's just tradition. Both you and Apple have allowed your story to consume you, so much so that I think neither of you will know what to do with yourselves once it is over. The stories are there for tradition, you have to keep them separate from who you are. You have to stop carrying the mirrors, Daring. I'll be honest, when you started bothering me about going on a date together I was not interested. You have always seemed shallow and a bit dense to me, apparently just as Apple planned. But when you put the mirror down and took me on that dragon ride, I saw a different part of you. A much better part. Then, when you lied and lost the bet with your friends I saw who you really were. Lose the mirror, you're a better person without it." And with that, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek for the second time. This time, her lips lingered.


	4. Chapter 3

**And here it is! Chapter three! The next two chapters include a lot of exposition. I'm sorry about that, but I had no idea where to put it all and the story can't really move on until all of this stuff is revealed. For those of you that are here for Rapple, be patient with me, lots of it next chapter! Please make sure to comment after you read!**

 **Dragons, Tea Parties, and the Past**

The school day is almost done when Headmaster Grimm makes his announcement. "Cupid, please come to my office at once. C.A. Cupid, please come to my office at once." Once he's done he looks over the paperwork one more time. This was an odd move, but it could not be ignored. Another student from Cupid's world would be joining the ranks of Ever After High students.

Eventually a very meek Cupid makes her way into his office. She seems to be lacking her usual spunk, which Headmaster Grimm takes note of.

"Hello Cupid, please, have a seat."

Cupid sits and Headmaster Grimm takes note of her nervousness.

"I have some extraordinary news for you! It seems that we will be admitting another student from your world, a young lady by the name of Cloe. Are you familiar with her?" Now Grimm can sense fear from the young lady in front of him..

"I am, Sir."

"Good I was hoping you could take her under your wing, show her the ropes for a few days?"

"Of course, I would love to." Cupid's words lack enthusiasm.

"Are you not friendly with this young lady? Is there anything I should know?"

"No, Sir. I'm… Um… Very excited!" With these words Cupid stands up. "I better get going. I have to prepare myself!"

"Alright Cupid, but please remember you can always come to me if you need anything. Oh, and Cloe will be rooming with Madeline Hatter. I think it's time we break up the Wonderland clique a little bit."

"I understand."

"Thank you, Cupid. You are dismissed."

Cupid can't seem to get out of Milton's office fast enough.

'Something is going on here,' Milton thinks too himself, 'and I'm going to find out exactly what it is!'

XXX

It takes Cerise over an hour of running around to finally find Raven sitting alone in the dragon stables with Nevermore. The room smells of fire and ice and Raven seems to be in a staring contest with her pet dragon. Cerise clears her throat and Raven looks up, breaking eye contact with the dragon, who puts his head down and nuzzles into Raven's lap.

"Hey Cerise, thank you so much for earlier, I kinda needed to get out of there without talking to anyone. You saved me."

"Of course! I figured you'd need some time to think after your… um… roleplaying." Cerise kicks lightly at the ground with the toe of her boot. Raven laughs nervously and looks away, trying to hide her blush. Cerise continues talking acting like she doesn't notice. "So, anyway, while we're feeling awkward, there's something I need to tell you. Maddie says you already know, but I wanted to tell you in person. Ever since you helped me with Kitty and that awful situation, I've thought of you as one of my best friends. So, as my best friend, I want to tell you that I trust you and reveal to you my other secret. I… like girls… I'm gay." Cerise is, of course, pulling down on her hood, trying to hide her eyes.

Raven is quiet. The air in the room suddenly seems thick as Raven stands and up and slowly walks over to Cerise. Once she is standing in front of her she leans her head on Cerise's shoulder and wraps her arms around her waist. Cerise is stunned for a moment, Then returns the hug.

"Thank you for your trust in me. I've wanted you to tell me for awhile. We're a pack, remember?"

"Thank you, Raven. I never thought I'd be able to admit this to anybody and I've done it twice today! Friends like you make it so much easier!"

"Of course! I'm actually, really glad you told me because I'm in a bit of a situation right now and I could use your help. I'm so confused!" and with those words come the tears. Raven didn't even know they were there, but they drop from her eyes like rain.

"Oh Raven, what the hex is wrong?"

"Everything made sense when I came back to school, but it has all changed, and within one day no less!" Raven's voice is muffled and her breath is hot on Cerise's neck.

"What's changed? Is It Dexter?"

"No… Well, kinda. I… don't have feelings for him anymore. They just dried up, in an instant. I'm going to break his heart, I know it. It's like somebody reached in and yanked all of my feelings for him out, and here's the crazy part, that empty space has been filled with feelings for someone else." Raven falls silent. Cerise pulls her back so she can look into her eyes.

"Who? Apple? Is that what this afternoon is about? Are you telling me you're bi?"

Raven is still quiet. She slowly leans her head back into Cerise. "I don't know. I've never, ever, felt anything for a girl before. Am I gay? Is this how it happens?"

"It's not how it happened with me! I've always known. When the boys started having crushes on the girls I was right there with them. It was so confusing to me! I knew I was supposed to be noticing the boys, but I couldn't take my eyes off of the girls. I think people… usually know… from an early age. Also, it's strange that your feelings for Dexter just kind of disappeared." Cerise tightens her grip on Raven whose tears are starting to subside.

"That's what I thought as well." Raven releases Cerise and goes and sits down by Nevermore.

"And you've never been attracted to any girl before Apple?" Cerise sits down next to Raven and gives nevermore a pat on the head.

"No, never. I've found girls pretty before, but always in a very… straight way."

"Are you sure it is romantic feelings you have for Apple? Actually, scratch that, I saw your acting today and I swore you were going to kiss her. You really are hot for her, aren't you?"

"Gods help me, I really am." Raven hugs her knees to her chest and hides her face in them.

"Damn… Well… I have two things to say. First, If you've got feelings, follow them! You might be pleasantly surprised, I mean, Apple wasn't stopping you this afternoon! Second, you might want to go see Baba Yaga, just in case." Cerise stands up and holds her hand out to help Raven up. "Go to your room, Raven. Go see Apple. And for the record, Apple is very pretty, I think you two would be a wonderful couple."

Raven gives Cerise another hug. "Thank you Cerise. I actually feel a lot better! Crying helped."

"I'm always here for you, my friend."

XXX

A few hours later Cerise is laying in bed and her thoughts are all tangled up." Raven might be bi. Apple is definitely gay and Maddie, well… who knows. She never thought she would feel this much support! She thought she was the only one hiding a secret and it seems a lot more common than she realized.

She thinks about possibilities. Her and Raven. Too weird, they were closer to sisters than romantic partners. Apple White? Apple was gorgeous, but her innocence didn't work on Cerise the same way it did on Raven, besides, Raven was interested in Apple, so she was out of the question.

Her mind swirled around and around, but it kept coming back to one thing. Kitty. The feel of Kitty's body beneath her as they laid on the grass. The rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Could it be possible? Could she have feelings for Kitty? Was Kitty even a possibility? She's probably straight, Cerise thought as the day ended and she closed her gray eyes.

XXX

Maddie gets up from her bed and heads to the wardrobe. Her dormouse, Earl Gray, has been throwing things around the room for the last half an hour to show his displeasure. 'It's his way of dealing with my sadness', Maddie thinks to herself as she rummages through her wardrobe, trying to find her special book. Eventually she lays her hands on it and takes it over to her desk.

She'd brought this book with her from wonderland. It was one of a kind and incredibly old. "A history of the Cheshires," stamped in faded gold leaf letters across the front. She's read it a thousand times and it's weight in her hands brings comfort. She caresses the front then opens it. The drawling voice of the dodo bird who wrote it fills the room.

"If you want to win a war, seek out the Cheshire, for her power is the strongest known in this land. Inevitably, the side that the Cheshire chooses, always wins. This was true in the great bandersnatch wars, this was true during the White Queen's rise to power, and the Red Queen's as well, and this was true, of course, in the war against Alice."

Maddie gives a quiet giggle. Alice wouldn't have thought of her time in Wonderland as a war. The other realms can never tell when Wonderland is fighting because their fights are much different. Either way, Alice was brilliant for capturing the heart of a Cheshire, it was the most important tactic in the battle.

The book was still babbling on. "The Cheshire cat will only help the person with whom she is in love. It is extremely ill-advised to try and force a Cheshire to use her magic against her will. For example, trying to grab onto a Cheshire while she transports will lead to an early demise. The cat can only transfer with the person who is her true love, everyone else will perish." Maddie listened on while going over Cerise's words in her head.

Cerise had teleported with Kitty, which means the day she has been dreading has arrived. Kitty has finally fallen in love. Real, true love. She shuts the book, puts it back in the wardrobe, dodges a pencil, and picks up Earl Gray. The dormouse relaxes in her arms. Once he is calm she places him in her pocket and cleans up the room. All the while remembering her life with Kitty.

They had first met in Wonderland. Maddie was playing around in the garden behind the tea shop when she suddenly noticed a tiny smile floating in the air next to her. This was the first time she had seen anything like this, but it did not startle or scare her, because Maddie was used to strange things. She often heard voices that nobody else could and such like, so, when the floating smile appeared she laughed with it and talked to it, even invited it to play with her until finally, the smile introduced itself as Kitty Cheshire.

The smile showed up now and then over the next couple of days until eventually a girl materialized around it. She was the cutest little thing with shaggy purple hair and fat cheeks. Maddie loved her right away and did what any girl her age would do, brought Kitty home.

She was surprised to find that her dad knew exactly who Kitty was, even introduced himself to her as if she were royalty. He took her into the shop and fed her and Maddie and Kitty were playmates from then on out.

Kitty lived with the Hatters half time and she was an incredibly secretive girl. It took Maddie years to realize that Kitty's Mother was rarely around. When she was she would shower attention on Kitty, then get bored and move on. Kitty was left alone to fend for herself most of the time, so the Hatters became one of many surrogate families.

Maddie was obsessed with Kitty's ability to transport and asked her to let her join in the fun, but Kitty got very serious and told Maddie that it would kill her if she tried.

"I can only do that with the one I truly love", Kitty would say, with both her hands covering her heart.

"Well then, I'm gonna have to make you love me!" Maddie would declare proudly! It was their little joke that Maddie was constantly trying to make Kitty fall in love with her, just so she could experience Kitty's power.

Maddie couldn't really pinpoint the moment that it had stopped being a game and become reality. They'd grown up and we're both exiled from their homeland and Maddie could no longer deny that all her attempts to make Kitty fall in love with her, had had the opposite effect. She was in love with Kitty.

Her "fake" flirtations got more and more outrageous as time passed and suddenly Maddie realized that they were basically in a physical relationship. How had this happened? But, every time she tried to bring it up Kitty just laughed it off.

Eventually Maddie had enough. They were in the common room at Ever After High and they had decided to have a tea party at Wonderland grove. They both stood up to leave and Maddie grabbed the unsuspecting cat girl around the waist and whispered "take us there my love!" Kitty stood quietly for a moment and then pushed Maddie's hands off her waist, took a few steps away, turned and smiled at Maddie, while she slowly disappeared.

So, Maddie was in love with a girl that didn't love her back. She had to accept that. It was hard at first, but Maddie made peace with it. The flirting, however, did not stop. Kitty didn't seem to mind Maddie's amorous displays one bit. Once they were roommates it became physical, very fast.

Maddie began to understand the poor cat girl's dilemma. Any other girl could easily lie and say she loved someone, Kitty would never have that luxury. She couldn't lie about her feelings, which was both invigorating and nerve-wracking. Maddie never gave up. She ket trying to get the beautiful cat girl to fall in love with her, because Maddie herself was deeply, madly, head-over-heels in love with her.

'How strange', Maddie thinks, 'to live a life of complete and total honesty. How often people settle! They get the idea of someone in their heads and then try to find that someone, without realizing that that someone is merely them. Eventually, they meet someone and try to make them into the person they invented in their heads, but by the time they realize that the person they are with is nothing like the person they'd been looking for, it's too late. So, they settle. They stay with them because they are comfortable and don't want to be alone anymore. This is the natural order of things and Kitty can never participate because she has a flaw. A test. Her love can be tested.'

Maddie is filled with her memories of Kitty. She has a reservoir inside of her that is dammed up, but the memories are deep and so voluminous, that the dam is straining. The memories are leaking. Kitty. Her Kitty, all knobby knees and sharp elbows. Kitty appearing out of nowhere with her arms around Maddie. Kitty crying behind the tea shop where she thinks no one can see her. Kitty. Always alone. Missing her mom, but never letting anyone in. Beautiful, triumphant, isolated, Kitty. Maddie is so full of Kitty she's afraid that if she lies down all the memories will come spilling out, so she stays upright.

'What will I do now? I feel like I will die.' So, without any idea what to do with herself, Maddie tidies up.

By the time Kitty arrives Maddie is just sitting down to a spot of evening tea. She already has a place set for Kitty, when she feels a small tug in her heart as Kitty slowly materializes with her arms around Maddie's neck.

"Hello, beautiful!" Kitty says as she inhales deeply taking in Maddie's scent.

Maddie reaches back, pulls Kitty onto her lap, and kisses her. Kitty gives a startled laugh as she is pulled around.

"Hello my darling! Care for some tea?" Maddie releases Kitty who jumps up and goes to her place across the small table.

"Absolutely!" She grabs a cup and pours herself some of Maddie's night time relaxation blend. She holds onto the cup with both hands obviously savoring the warmth and the taste. A sad expression flits across her face. Once Maddie sees that sadness, she can't hold back her own and they both realize the other knows.

"That's enough Narrator!" Both Maddie and Kitty look up at the sky angrily. Sorry, both of you, but the story must go on.

"I had a talk with Cerise today and she mentioned offhandedly that she had transported with you." Maddie tries to stop the tears, she had promised herself that she wouldn't cry, for Kitty's sake, but these tears are stubborn, they won't be ignored. She continues talking through her sobs. "We both knew this day would come, and I have tried to prepare myself, but it caught me off guard. I'm sorry." Maddie stops for a second to try and catch her breath, but her sobs just get worse. "I'm not ready, Kitty. I want to be strong for you, but I'm not ready. I've known from the beginning that you didn't love me in a true love sort of way, but I always held out hope that I could change your mind." More sobs. Maddie can feel her panic ratcheting up and wants to stop it, but it is impossible. "I'm not ready, Kitty. I don't want to let you go! please do something! Change the rules! Why won't you fall in love with me?" These last words come out harsher than she expected and her crying overwhelms her to the point of being unable to speak.

Kitty stands up, takes Maddie's hand and leads her to the bed. She lays down pulling Maddie on top of her. Maddie's tears fall onto Kitty's face.

Indoor rain, emotional storm cloud.

Kitty speaks quietly and soothingly to Maddie while staring up into her eyes. "Maddie, I wish I was like other girls and could hide my heart. Believe me, if I could I would have stayed with you forever, but I can't. My heart is connected to my power, which means I can't hide it and I can't settle. I'm sorry." Kitty reaches up and runs her hand over Maddie's cheek and into the wild mane of her hair. Maddie smiles at the touch, but her tears fall faster.

"What are we going to do, Kitty?"

"I'll tell you what we're going to do. In the morning, I will be moving out of this room and you will get a new roommate." Kitty's voice is steady and incredibly matter-of-fact, which makes Maddie cry more. She bites her bottom lip, then continues. "I spoke with Headmaster Grimm this morning, told him we felt the Wonderlandians should mix a little more with the other students, he thought it was a great idea. Once we are no longer roommates we will take a break from each other, and later, we will become the best of friends again, just like old times." Kitty does not break her gaze, but Maddie looks down. She can't see anyway as the tears blur her vision. Maddie knows coldness is Kitty's defense. It's the way she was raised. She knows that Kitty is in terrible pain as well, she just can't show it. Kitty will find a quiet place to mourn later. Or maybe she already has.

Maddie has always wondered what this moment would be like, but nothing prepares her for the feeling of Kitty reaching into her chest, removing her heart, and tearing it to shreds. The worst part is the emptiness left behind. Maddie caresses Kitty's cheeks and hair.

"Please Kitty, no, not now…"

"But right now," Kitty interrupts her, "we are going to ignore tomorrow and spend one more evening together as Kitty and Maddie! Cheshire and Hatter! The wildest couple Wonderland ever saw. Chin up my darling. It will hurt and it will get better." Kitty pulls Maddie's face to hers and kisses her passionately. And Maddie complies. She has to do it the Cheshire's way because there is no other option. She runs her fingers over Kitty's face, her nose, her ears, trying to remember all of it. These legs, rubbing against hers. These knees and elbows, this smell, this hair, This Kitty! Her Kitty!

"I Love you, Kitty. I love you with everything I am!"

"I know you do Maddie, I never doubted it."

And with that they dive into the physical, for the last time.


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note - Hello everyone and thank you so much for continuing to read this story! This chapter brings us to the end of part one! I'm incredibly excited to start part two. I've been keeping a pretty constant pace of one chapter a week and I think I will be able to keep that pace! Unfortunately, my editor (friend that is willing to read this) isn't around this week so I edited this myself. If you notice a few more errors than normal that's on me, sorry! Once my editor is back I will clean up any problems with this chapter. Also, yay Rapple!**

 **Heartbreak, Dogs, and the Creation of a New Solar System**

Daring Charming can't bring himself to go to any classes, so he calls in sick. Perhaps Headmaster Grimm believes him, or perhaps he feels sorry for him, but either way, he doesn't give Daring any trouble. His room is dark, the curtains closed to dampen the sun's energetic bombardment, and all the mirrors in the room are covered. Mirrors are too painful. They are a symbol of everything he tried, and failed, to be.

He wants to take Lizzie's advice. He wants to stop moping, but his hurt has too strong a hold on him. This makes him disgusted with himself which makes him even sadder and the cycle continuously repeats. His roommate, Hopper, has been avoiding him and avoiding the dorm, which suits Daring just fine. The last thing he wants is other people around, asking him questions, making him explain how he feels about losing his fairy tale. How do they think he feels?

Didn't Apple make him who he was? Didn't she teach him who to be after she'd braved the angry jaws of a dog? Was it all a game to her? How could she let Raven destroy the book? She gave up so easy! She passed on her fervor for her fairy tale to him and then abandoned him the minute she met Raven. Well, he couldn't give up so easily! He still wanted his happily ever after, but how? Destiny itself seemed to be kicking him out of his own story! And the fact that it was his sister who woke Apple explained everything. Apple likes girls. This thought releases a flood of shame into his blood. The things they had done. She probably hated all of it. Poor Apple. Poor sweet, brave, terrible Apple.

His thoughts circle manically round and round in his head, stirring up his memories of Apple. The dog. Apple and the dog.

He was ten years old when he first met her. It was the middle of summer and the days seemed to stretch on forever. He had spent the first half of his summer reading and he expected to do a lot more, until his father pulled him into the study and announced that Queen White would be stopping by with her daughter and that he had been chosen to be her next Prince. Daring had never seen such pride in his father's eyes and it was infectious. Out of all the Charming families, he had been chosen as the next Prince Charming! His father also informed him that it would mean a great change. Daring would have to pull his nose out of his books and start training in earnest in order to be worthy of this tremendous honor.

A few hours later, he's out back playing with a stick. In his mind he is fighting off dragons and swooping in to save his princess. His princess! The words role so nicely off his tongue. Could he do this? Could he become the next Prince Charming. His heart had swelled then, and beat with pride and excitement. What would she look like, his princess? She would have to be beautiful, with hair like raven feathers and lips as red as blood. He would protect her. He would be her man.

All of the trees in the yard are great dragons and each must be defeated. He is on an imaginary quest, from country to country, destroying the dragons and protecting the people. After each victory the locals throw him a party to honor his brave deeds. He is running around one of the trees, (dragons) beating it with a stick, when he hears a low growl. The hair on the back of his neck stands up instinctually as He turns around and is confronted with his neighbor's dog. The dog is all open mouth, teeth, and slick pink tongue. Saliva drips from its angry jaws.

Huge paws, angry snarl, long yellowed teeth. Adrenaline dumping terror shakes him to the core and his first instinct is to fall back against the tree and try to hold up his stick for protection, but the dog lets out a bark that is world shattering and Daring drops his stick and puts his hands over his ears. Where is his bravery now? He needs his dad. He tries to crawl towards the house, but the dog takes a step closer, blocking his retreat.

Daring stops and puts his hands out in front of him. Closer. he's trying to climb backwards up the tree. Closer. The dog leans back on it's haunches, ready to leap, and lets out another ear splitting bark. Daring knows he is done for. He is full prone on the ground, trying to hold his arms over his face to protect himself when a shadow falls over him.

He drops one of his arms and sees a very blonde girl standing between him and the dog. Who is this? Her fists are clenched at her sides, but she is not losing any ground. Her and the dog seem to be in some kind of staring contest. Time stretches into eternity. Daring is waiting for the dog to pounce on his slender savior and tear her to shreds, but instead, and to Daring's amazement, the dog breaks eye contact, lowers itself to the ground and pushes itself to the blond with it's tail wagging. Her fists relax and suddenly she is squatting down petting and laughing with the dog.

Unfortunately, all of the stress in Daring boils over and he begins sobbing, so loudly that the blonde girl turns to him with a startle. Even through his tears he can see that she is stunning. Blue eyes, blonde hair, and bright red lips.

"Oh, hey, come on now, why are you crying? It's alright now, see. He's just a puppy. Are you Daring charming?" She looks at him, expecting an answer, but he can't speak, so she comes and sits next to him. "Nod your head if you are Daring Charming." He nods obediently. She is let down. He can tell.

"Well, I'm Apple White!"

This is his princess! This is her! Color spreads to his cheeks as shame poisons his entire being. This is her! He was just saved by his own princess! All the pride he felt earlier that morning is consumed by shame.

"You're Apple White? Aren't you supposed to have black hair?" Her says through his involuntary sobs. A small frown spreads across her face.

"You're prince Charming? Aren't you supposed to be brave? Her words cut him to the quick. He can smell shame oozing out of his pores. He is the embodiment of shame. He looks down, unable to keep her eye. She would never respect him again. He's ruined it on the very first day. The dog is laying a few feet away and Daring kicks at it. The dog looks up at him and pants.

"Hey, hey, come on. It's alright. The dog was just scared. Look. You've been chosen to be my Prince. Is that acceptable to you?"

Daring nods.

"Alright, then let's do this! I will admit, you aren't much to work with but we can make our ever after perfect! Will you help make this perfect?"

Another nod.

"It'll be a lot of work and you will find yourself in situations scarier than this one, but if you try hard, we can sculpt you into my perfect prince! This'll work, but you must swear loyalty to me. You must become mine, just as I am to become yours."

Daring is overjoyed. She still wants him after everything she's seen. After she protected her own prince, she still wants him! Finally he finds his voice: "I swear, I will be the best prince you could possibly have. I would gladly jump in front of a million dogs for you, I just need… practice." Daring turns his very serious eyes onto Apple's.

"Then You will get plenty of practice, I'll see to it."

The sun rays broke through the trees as Apple took his hand in hers and his fate was sealed.

From that day forward Daring and Apple were almost always together as she started to shape him and mold him into her ideal prince. He never realized just how much of an honor it was to be chosen as part of the fairy tale tradition until he listened to her philosophize about it for weeks on end. In the end, he had caught the bug. He fell in love with their fairy tale, but, more importantly, he fell in love with her. hard. she was perfect.

Apple's strange version of "training" started out small. They'd be out walking and suddenly she would fall backwards. It was Daring's job to make sure he was there to catch her. She only fell once, when he couldn't get to her fast enough, and she walked away disappointed, which had broken Daring's heart. He never missed again.

But falling was just the beginning. Soon it got even wilder. She would purposely put herself in dangerous situations, expecting Daring to be there to help her out. She trusted him and the trust felt so good! She was right, the person he was wasn't worthy of the fairy tale, but the person he was becoming, perfect! By the time he was starting his freshman year at Ever After High he was fighting dragons just to kill time.

Once she was satisfied with his bravery, talk turned towards other aspects of Prince Charming's character. It was important that he be attractive to all the other ladies, but also unattainable. They spent day after day discussing how to obtain this goal. It was Apple that had finally found the perfect answer. Feigned narcissism! It is was so simple and so perfect! He would constantly be able to hit on girls, but would never have to follow through because he could act like he was too interested in himself to notice them anymore.

A few weeks before they started attending Ever After High, Daring kissed Apple. Her reaction was… strange. They were in his room and Apple had brought him a present. He tore the elegant wrapping paper, opened the box, and removed a beautiful, jewel encrusted mirror. He looked at his reflection in it and he loved what he saw. The narcissist act would be easy! Together they had created the perfect Prince Charming!

When he looked up at her she was smiling so beautifully! He knew there was magic in her smile, he had it as well, but this was like nothing he had ever seen! There was no woman so beautiful, so close to his heart as she. His Princess. His world revolved around her attention. One kind word from her made him. One disapproving look destroyed him! He loved only her. Taken with the moment, he leaned in and kissed those beautiful red lips. He didn't see why he shouldn't, they had already agreed to be married. She did not stop him, did not pull away, but she also refused to participate. She was completely relaxed, and he could tell that she knew this moment was coming and was reacting exactly how she'd planned. Was she not into this? It was like kissing a statue, or maybe someone who was asleep. Maybe magical sleep!

'Gods, I am such a fool,' Daring thinks angrily. At the time he had assumed that she was just practicing for their first kiss, that she was into it in her own special way.

Unfortunately, it had gone further. Once he had finally built up the courage to kiss her he couldn't stop himself. Her lips were not pliant, so he threw his arms around her and kissed that warm slender neck. so perfect, so lovely! She still didn't react. Her lack of movement and participation made quick work of his passion. He stopped kissing, and just rested. He felt her heart beat on his cheek. Slow and steady. His was racing out of control. Suddenly, He didn't feel very much like Prince Charming, and he had trained himself to always stop himself from doing something that felt uncharming, even if it was all he wanted in the world.

He sat up and smoothed out his clothes. "I'm sorry Apple, I got carried away."

She stood up "Don't apologize! I'm your Princess, you're supposed to do that." And she smiled. Again, the smile filled him with warmth, but this time it felt disingenuous. He marveled at her complete control of him. She could smile and say, go ahead, and then shut him down with the sheer power of her will. He was so confused! Could he have kept going?

Thinking about it now it must have been horrible for her. She didn't like males, didn't want males touching her and he had completely misunderstood everything! She was suddenly much cooler to him after that.

This issue has Daring split and it depends on his emotional state at the time which side he'll end up on. He wants Apple to allow herself to discard tradition and openly embrace who she is. He loves her enough to be happy for her when she's happy. On the other hand, he is angry. He's angry at Apple for using him as a foil to figure herself out! He's angry at Raven! Is she willing to completely destroy her personality for Apple? Is she willing to become good enough for Apple, like he has? No! She denies Apple's desires again and again and yet, Apple can't ignore her! He could at least be happy with the fact that Raven wasn't a lesbian.

'This isn't a very Prince Charming way to act', a very Apple like voice says in his head. "Good! It doesn't matter, because I'm not Prince Charming!" It feels good to say it, yet it hurts to say it. Apple should have to be alone, just like him. In fact, he was making sure of it. The most uncharming thing he'd done so far? Pushing his brother on Raven. He planted the seed in Dexter's head and he watered it. Without him Dexter wouldn't have noticed Raven. And he would make sure Raven and Dex got together and then, he would watch Apple fall apart!

"…help me Apple. Please help me. I don't know who I am anymore and I think I might be a bad person."

XXX

Raven keeps coming up with things she needs to do before she goes to the dorm for the evening until all of her excuses run out and she finds herself creeping in a lot later than usual. When she opens the door her mouth drops open. The room is covered in candles and flowers and Apple, draped in a gorgeous red and gold dress Raven hasn't seen before, is laying on top of her covers, her arms on her chest and a bouquet of flowers tucked underneath them. The same exact pose as when she was poisoned. Raven stares down at her. Apple opens one eye slightly, takes a peek at her, giggles, then closes it again. Raven lets out a sigh and sits on the edge of Apple's bed.

"Hey Apple, so… Um… sorry about this aftern—"

"Do it again, please. Just like we did in Maid Marian's class. Be my prince one more time." Apple interrupts.

"Ha ha, but seriously, we should talk."

"Hush Raven. Humor me. Do it one more time." Another tinkling giggle

"Apple, I—"

"Please, Raven. Please? It'll be fun!"

"Fine. If it makes you happy, I'll do it." Raven let's out a giggle despite her nervousness. Here she is trying to have a deep conversation and Apple wants to play. Coming home every evening is certainly an adventure when your roommate is Apple White!

"Thank you." Apple says very somberly.

Raven steps into the hall to prepare herself to play the part again. In the hall she notices the picture of her and Apple hanging on the wall. She'd seen the picture a thousand times, but never really considered it. Before Raven even knew they were roommates, before they had gone to Wonderland, fought her mother, gone to thronecoming together, before it all, Apple had found a picture of Raven, ripped it, added a photo of herself, and framed it. 'Why would Apple go to such lengths for a roommate?' She ran her fingers down the frame thinking about the time Apple had put into this. At the time it just seemed to Raven that her princess was spoiled and insisting on herself, but now, it seemed a little different. Had Apple been calling out to her this entire time? What is it Apple had said when Raven destroyed the Storybook of Legends? Raven had asked, "Am I understanding you correctly?" and Apple responded, "You always have." 'Is Apple really in love with me? Have I been blind this whole time? Yes she was pushy, yes she tried to do everything in her power to force me to be someone I'm not, but she gave up so gracefully and I know what her happily ever after means to her.' She kept her hand on the frame a little longer. 'Apple touched this. Apple worked so hard on this. I might have a chance!'

Raven checks her hair in the mirror and enters the room. "What have we here? A fair maiden lying dead amongst the trees of this accursed forest?" Her voice is shaky and unsure. She gets down on one knee, her face close to Apple's, and once again Apple's perfume is in her nose and the world melts away. Raven runs her eyes across Apple's lips, slightly puckered as she tries not to giggle, down her soft white cheeks, that always bunch up when Apple casts one of her blinding smiles, along the line of her jaw and finally settle on Apple's creamy white neck. She can see Apple's jugular pulsing fast and steady. Raven's heart feels like it is going to beat right out of her chest! She starts over.

"What have we here? A fair maiden, dropped into my life a year ago. A beautiful blonde with the most confusing personality I have ever know. An enemy that treats me like the best friend she's ever had, or a friend that treats me like an enemy? A perfect fairy tale girl that held her happily ever after in her hands, and then let me destroy it so that everyone could have their own choice. Apple, who decorates my side of the room at her own expense, but chooses all the wrong decor?" Raven can't stop the flow of her words, even if she wanted to. The ghost of a smile on Apple's face and a slight wetness around her eyes. "A manipulative girl who is always looking out for others. A beautiful narcissist with no vanity. My dearest friend. Lying cold and motionless upon the forest floor." Raven pretends to inspect Apple's lifeless body, then continues.

"Alas, not dead, but fallen into a sleep as cold as death. Breath still gathers firm within her delicate frame. A slight hint of cool air plays against her lips. Lips as red as blood. Methinks I have never spied a maiden as beautiful as this, were she awake I would throw myself at her feet for I find myself beguiled by this forest beauty. My heart beats louder in my chest than ever it did in battle. Is this love?" These words, the originals, work just fine for Raven and she delivers them as if they were her own. Slowly savoring every word, meaning each and every subtle nuance. For the first time in her life she feels that she was born to play a part in a fairytale! If this was her destiny, she'd have no trouble embracing it!

"Would that she could see me. That I could behold the color of these closed windows and see the soul that lies within. Would our souls speak the truth of true love? Methinks they will. Why? Why must it be you, The one I was supposed to poison. Why does it have to be you, my greatest friend. I… I'm scared. What if you're just playing around and I'm serious? What if I make this final move and you jump up and ask me what the hell I'm doing? All that I can do, Apple, is steal one kiss so that perhaps my soul can speak what words cannot, lest they fall on closed ears." Raven leans in and whispers the words she spoke that afternoon. The words that made Apple's eyes pop open. "Was it always you?" Her heart is beating in her chest as she leans in, when suddenly…

Apple grabs Raven by the wrist and slides up the wall into a half sitting position. "Wo, Raven," these two words freeze Raven in her tracks. All that she feared is coming to pass. Apple doesn't like girls, let alone Raven! Apple thinks for a minute and chews distractedly on her bottom lip before she continues.

"Look, Raven, I know who I am. A lot of people don't think I do, but I do. I'm pretty naive about a lot of stuff, but I know. who. I. am." She stares Raven down as she speaks, searching for understanding, then continues: "I've made myself content being your best friend ever after and I can continue to be that, but again, I know who I am, and I have to ask you, do you know who you are? Because, honestly, I have never seen one sign from you that you felt anything like this until I suddenly caught you giving me bedroom eyes this morning in the castleteria. This means a lot to me and I don't want you to do this as an "experience" or a trial. Do you know who you are? Is this who you are?" Apple is panting in her excitement.

Raven reaches down, grabs Apple's legs and pulls her back into a prone position. Then lays her forehead gently on Apple's. "Honestly, Apple, I have no idea who I am anymore. But will that make you stop?" Purple eyes stare into blue.

"Gods no!" Apple says as she leans forward to meet Raven on the way down and suddenly they are devouring each other.

Red lips. Apple's lips! Oh gods, Apple's lips! Soft cheeks! Pearly teeth and a small dainty tongue, invading, searching. Apple White! Has this been what she's wanted all along? It must've been! Always this! How could she have hidden it from herself? Raven has known pain, confusion, loneliness, and joy, but she's never known anything like this. For the first time in her life she isn't confused. This is right. This is meant to be. This is her own happily ever after and perhaps the world will frown upon it. Perhaps others will hate her for it, but who cares? This is hers.

Her hand follows the arc of Apple's thin arm, tickling the soft skin, until she reaches her small hand and their delicate fingers entwine. Her other hand on Apple's cheek, red with constant blush, caressing, feeling, reveling in intimate touch, secret touch, while her humming bird heart nearly beats out of her chest. Apple happy crying, salty kisses, breathing together, a loop, never stopping. symbiosis.

Kissing and giggling, contented small touches, delicate, slow moving, passion. Every touch creates a small purple spark, that does not go out, instead it gathers in-between them and turns into a small glowing sphere. With every touch the sphere gets bigger. they feed it with new love and gentle caresses. Eventually it grows to a size that borders on unmanageable, so they try to hush it, to keep it down, while still feeding it. It is bursting at the seams, until, finally, it explodes in every direction, purple light caressing every corner, every unused part of the school. A purple super nova, that only Cupid, sitting at her desk and worrying a lock of hair around her finger while she thinks of her afternoon with dexter, notices. She leans back and let's the warmth pass over her, with a smile on her face. A few moment's later her expression fades to worry.

"Apple and Raven, huh? Never would've guessed. Thanks narrator!" says a broken Maddie who is shrunk down to the size of a pea, swimming in her own salty tears.

The light flows over Lizzie Hearts, unnoticed, as she tries to shut off thoughts of Daring Charming, the boy hiding inside the facade.

It flows over Cerise Hood, who is dreaming of cats and princesses, and it flows over Kitty, laying on the branch of an old tree in the enchanted forest, weeping and praying, trying to force herself to fall in love with her poor, mad, friend, hating herself for hurting her, while simultaneously repressing her excitement over the possibility of Beautiful, feral, Cerise Hood.

It flows to the farthest reaches of the forests that surround Ever After High, and then it slows, stops, and collapses in on itself, A red giant suddenly condensing to a blue dwarf. A small ball of well fed love, small enough for Raven and Apple to hold between them, so densely packed it bends everything around them with it's gravity. This infinitesimal point of love is strong enough that it pulls them into it's orbit. They orbit each other. Apple and Raven, tidal locked, facing each other forever.

And they get no sleep that night. They kiss, they look into each other's eyes and giggle, they talk of times in the past, admit old desires (mainly Apple), and then kiss some more. In the end they fall asleep, entwined, and fully dressed.

This is how the first day of the new school year, comes to a close.


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! So this begins the second part of my three part story. Again, me editor is out of town, so forgive any typos. Once she is back in town and is able to read these for me I will edit the chapters and make corrections. I think this chapter is a bit too long so I have to break it into two chunks again, so make sure to read the next chapter as well to get the end of this one. This chapter introduces an original character of mine. She plays an incredibly small part in this story, but I absolutely need her for the plot!**

 **Thank you so much for all the reviews! Please keep them coming, they are the sustenance that keeps me writing!**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 5 - Witches, Goddesses, and a Morning Run**

A week has passed and the students of Ever After High are all falling back into the routine of the school year. It's a Saturday so everyone is enjoying their first day off of the year.

'Princesses! Princess latte's, princess shoes, princess attitudes!' Cerise Hood walks, with mind numbing slowness, towards the forest. It takes every ounce of her energy not to run. She very much wants to, but she knows she can't, not until she's no longer in danger of being seen. It's been a week since her encounter with Kitty and since then it's been all Princess classes and Princess problems. It seems to her she'll never get the balance right. When she's at the school for too long she wants the forest. When she's in the forest too long she wants school.

Finally, she comes to the path that leads into the forest. The path forks and she veers to the left, ignoring the Enchanted Forest for the much more familiar Dark Forest. Once she knows she is under the forest canopy she allows herself to walk at her normal clip, rushing through the forest. No more princesses in here! No more hiding. The wind blows her hood back and Cerise lets out a quiet howl. Freedom!

She breaks into a run, trees whiz past her in a blur as she really hits her pace. Her nose is filled with the scent of earth, of decay and rebirth, and her ears are full of sounds from all sorts of Dark Forest inhabitants. Wolf senses in a wolf forest. Just what she needed!

As the forest blurs past she catches a glimpse of purple. She skids too a halt and jogs back. Sure enough, Kitty is asleep in a tree, snoring softly. Kitty hasn't really been around for the past week, except in classes, but Cerise has thought about her often. Now, here she is face to face with her and the cat girl is sleeping. Cerise takes the opportunity to really look at her. Her eyes move up and down Kitty's body and the almost always dormant butterflies in her stomach wake up and begin to flutter. She gets as close to kitty as she dares and stares at her sleeping face. Button nose, thin lips, long eyelashes, this girl is perfect.

Kitty's breathing gets a little shallower and she opens her eyes, beautiful blue green, and Cerise is swimming. Kitty reaches her arms above her head and stretches, all without breaking eye contact with Cerise, and then smiles happily. "Hello puppy, I didn't expect to wake up to you."

Kitty's words snap Cerise back into herself and she realizes Kitty just woke up to her staring at her like a total creeper. She can feel the blush spreading across her face. "I'm sorry Kitty, I was just taking a morning run and I saw you and I thought I would come and say hi, but you were sleeping, so I… um…well. Yeah." Cerise puts her hand up to pull her hood down over her face and realizes that her hood is already down. She reaches back to put it back on.

"Please don't do that, Cerise." Kitty fades into nothingness and then reappears standing next to her. "You don't have to hide the wolf from me. I like the wolf. I like the wolf… and the girl."

Cerise's hand floats by her hood for a moment and then falls to her side. She stands awkwardly, with her secret out for everyone to see, and blushes. Kitty yawns again.

"Anyway, last time we were together you hitched a free ride. I thought that maybe next time I saw you, you could return the favor. Maybe you could take me for a run!" Before Kitty can even finish her sentence Cerise has picked her up and they are running through the forest.

Cerise runs faster than she ever has. Kitty is so light she seems almost nonexistent in her arms. After a few paces Kitty cuddles into her and rests her head against Cerise's shoulder. Usually people are clinging to her for dear life, but Kitty is completely relaxed as if she is being carried during a slow stroll. Part of Cerise wants to run out of the forest, straight past the school, through the town of bookend and far, far away. She wants to hold on to Kitty and never put her down.

But she must. Ten minutes into the run and Cerise is winded. She slows to a stop and breaths deeply. Kitty disappears and reappears next to her. This type of travel, Kitty travel, is so graceful. She seems to move like liquid.

Kitty is smoothing her dress. "I like traveling like that! It's so slow!"

Cerise can feel her anger rising, but it melts away when she sees Kitty smiling at her.

"Well, if it's too slow, I won't take you anymore!" Cerise folds her arms.

"Oh no! I like traveling like that, please say we can do it again!" Kitty stares at her with pout level one hundred and Cerise's heart melts at seeing this side of the playful cat she's never seen before.

"Alright, but only if you're nice to me!"

Kitty leans her back against Cerise and looks up at her. "I'm always nice to you!"

"I don't know about that! You almost revealed my secret to the entire school!" Cerise looks down sternly at Kitty

Kitty smiles to herself, obviously remembering her trickery. "I want everybody to see how perfect you are!"

"I wish I could see it that simply. Unfortunately, it is a lot more complicated than that." Cerise let's out a sigh.

Kitty breaks contact and turns around to face Cerise. She reaches up and caresses her cheek. "It's not complicated at all, Puppy. It is simply simple." As kitty speaks she slowly fades away.

Cerise is left standing in the dark forest with the ghost of Kitty's hand on her cheek. She rubs the spot with her own hand, blushes, smiles, and runs!

'Maybe, maybe, maybe!' Cerise thinks to herself as the forest blurs past her.

'Yes, Yes, Yes!' Kitty thinks as she watches Cerise from her hidden vantage point in a nearby tree. She watches her rub her cheek and smile before taking off in a run. 'Finally a girl who can really understand me!'

XXX

The school is abuzz in anticipation for the new arrival, apparently someone from Cupid's world, who was supposed to have arrived on the second day, but had been delayed until this morning.

Headmaster Grimm stands tall and fidgety in his green suit, his Brother Giles is next to him, leaning on the desk in a relaxed posture. The balcony window is open and they both stare out into the morning sky in anticipation. Suddenly they are both struck with a wind so strong it nearly knocks them over and three people blink into existence before them.

"Thank you, Herman," Says an older woman wearing a black business suit, her hands and the side of her face covered in spiderweb tattoos, to a young man wearing shorts and a t-shirt with writing on it Headmaster Grimm can't read. "Go sit down over there until we are ready." She motions to a seat in the corner and the young man pulls out his mirror phone and sits down. Headmaster Grimm notices a small pair of wings, growing from his ankles.

"Headmaster Grimm, Giles, it is wonderful to finally meet both of you, this is my daughter, Cloe Fate, and she is incredibly excited to be joining your school." The woman gives both Headmaster Grimm and Giles a quick handshake.

"Thank you, Clotho, we are honored to have her. Giles and I have both been reading up on mythic culture and of course we've had Cupid helping us prepare."

"Cupi? Where is she?" Clotho looks around the room.

"I sent for her just before you arrived, she should be here soon." Headmaster Grimm turns his attention over to Cloe. "Hello Cloe, and welcome to Ever After High! We are so glad to add you to our wonderful group of students attending…" Headmaster Grimm is interrupted by the office door opening and a very pink-haired Cupid peeking in. Headmaster Grimm is just opening his mouth to ask her to come in when he is startled by a loud shriek from beside him.

"Cupi!" Clotho bounds across the room and swoops Cupid into an incredible bear hug. Her wings look painfully crushed and feathers stick out willy-nilly from under Clotho's arms, but Cupid lays her head on the older woman's shoulder and lets out a content sigh.

"Aunt Clotho, it is so good to see you. I've missed you!" Cupid hugs her a little tighter then waits patiently until her Aunt puts her down. Cloe is next in line. She takes both of Cupid's hands in hers and the two girls literally jump for joy. Before they know it Herman has pulled them both into a group hug and is jumping up and down with them. A few happy tears escape Cupid's eyes. Once they have had their fill they all release and start to chat happily until Clotho takes over the conversation.

"Cupi, Your father sent some things for you." Clotho pulls out the smallest bag imaginable and hands it to cupid. Cupid opens it and the mouth of the bag stretches far enough for her to put her entire head inside. She comes out smiling and excited.

"Tell him thank you!"

"I will, Cupi. He misses you terribly."

"I miss him too," Cupid looks incredibly sad for a moment, "But I'm having a wonderful time here at school!"

XXX

It takes an hour to do all the paperwork and then Cloe is released into Cupid's care. Cupid has just finished giving her a quick tour of the campus and now they are heading up to the dorms. The curved staircase is alternately dim and flooded in sunshine from the lovely windows along the corridor.

"It's beautiful here, Cupi. I can see why you like it." Cloe stops for a moment and lets the light from a window wash over her. "I never thought I would get a chance like this. To travel to a wonderful new land. We are so lucky! And I have you to thank!"

"You're welcome… I guess? So, your roommate situation is a bit weird right now. The girl you are rooming with has just gone through some… love trouble, and she's from Wonderland, so she is dealing with it in a… unique way." Cupid can't bring herself to look over at Cloe, she's been avoiding eye contact all morning. She turns and starts back up the stairs.

"Cupi, stop for a minute." Cloe Takes Cupid's shoulder and turns her around to face her. "You know why I am here, right?"

"Yes." Cupid stares down at the floor.

"I know you are close with all of these people, but they are not used to our customs and cultures, so I am only here to observe, for now. In the end the decision is yours, so you have time." Cloe reaches out and cups Cupid's chin in her palm and slowly lifts her head, forcing eye contact. "I know you're scared Cupi, but believe me, I'm here to help. Okay?"

"Okay." Cupid pulls Cloe into a hug.

"Cupid?" A voice calls from down the hall. "Is that you?"

"Prepare yourself!" Cupid gives Cloe a quick warning. The moment she says it Blondie locks comes bounding down the stairs, mirror pad in hand.

"Is this her?" She comes to an abrupt stop in front of the two mythic girls.

"Yes. Blondie, this is her. Cloe, meet Blondie, she is the daughter of Goldilocks and my Roommate. Blondie, meet Cloe, she is the daughter of Clotho, one of the three aspects of fate." The two girls shake hands. After the handshake Blondie starts inspecting, very openly, every aspect of Cloe.

"Dark gray and black dress with spiderweb lace, thick black hair, green eyes, is that a spiderweb tattoo on your hand? Interesting, baby doll shoes," Blondie let's out a contented sigh. "You're just right. Here, Cupid, hold my mirrorpad!" Blondie pushes her mirrorpad into Cupid's chest and stands next to Cloe. Cupid turns the mirrorpad on and mouths the words "I'm sorry" to Cloe, before pushing record.

"Hello Fairytales, Blondie Lockes here with a special report. I'm proud to announce the arrival of Ever After High's newest student, Cloe Fate! As you can tell she has hexcellent fashion from the mythic realm! Cloe is the daughter of Clotho, one of the three aspects of fate. Her destiny is to first replace her mother, the youngest aspect of fate, then her grandmother, and finally her great grandmother, moving through all three aspects!"

Cloe is surprised that Blondie knows so much about her. She looks over to Cupid who gives her a smile.

"So, Cloe, Are you excited to be here?" Blonde holds her teddy bear microphone near Cloe.

"I am. I hope that I can make many friends while I am here and learn all about the Fairy Tale realm."

"And what classes will you be taking this year?"

"Well, my schedule is not completely figured out, but I will be taking princessology and general villainy for sure."

"There you have it folks, the newest student to Ever After High! Make sure to say hello when you see her! Blondie out!"

Cupid stops recording and looks up at Cloe. "Well, now the entire school knows you!"

"Wow, that's… quick."

"Of course, that's news!" a very enthusiastic Blondie cuts in. The three girls chat as they walk the rest of the way up the stairs and peek into Cloe's new room.

"Cupid and I set it up. I hope you like it!" One side of the room seems to be in utter chaos, all stripes and mismatched colors, tea trays and stacks of other side is set up in traditional mythic fashion. Every detail has been seen to, including a ceremonial vase, filled with earth from home.

"Thanks you two! This is wonderful!" Just as she is finishing her sentence Blondie is pulling her further down the hall.

"I'm glad you like it! It was really Cupid drove us crazy trying to get every detail right!" Blondie stops at the end of the hall and knocks at the last door on the right. "I'm going to introduce you to Raven, you and her have similar taste in fashion." Just as Blondie finishes her sentence the door opens and a young purple-haired girl greets them. She is wearing a red dress with puffy sleeves and a pinafore with a large pocket on the chest. The pocket is decorated with a big red apple.

"Raven! What are you wearing?" Both Blondie and Cupid stare at the violet-eyed-girl in shock. Cloe doesn't quite know what to do so she stays silent in the back. Raven looks down at what she's wearing and realization dawns on her. Her cheeks turns as red as the apple decorating the pinafore pocket.

"Sorry, I forgot I was wearing this, it's Apple's, she loaned it to me so I could take care of Maddie. Needed bigger pockets." Raven pats the large pocket on her chest gently. An incredibly awkward moment follows. Blondie slowly raises her mirrorpad. Everyone is dead silent as she pushes the screen and the fake click of a shutter closing echoes down the corridor. Blondie stares down at the picture.

"This… is… amazing!" Blondie shouts happily as Raven drops her face into her hands.

"Stop it Blondie, it's for Maddie, anyway, aren't you here for a reason?"

"Oh yeah, Raven, this is Cloe!" Blondie presents her with pride as if she was somehow responsible for her presence.

"I know Blondie, I just saw your mirrorcast. Well met, Cloe, Come on in, I'll introduce you to your roommate." Raven gives Cloe a slight in bow in passing, Cloe does the same. Both can feel the other's magical presence.

Cloe steps into the room and once again is struck with two completely different decoration themes smashed together. One side of the room is all princess and bright color, the other is witchy and dark.

"Where's Apple?" Cupid asks.

"She's in the shower. I'll bring her over to meet Cloe when she's done." Raven turns her attention from Cupid to Cloe. "Did Cupid catch you up on your roommate situation?" Raven asks as she pulls up a chair for Cloe.

"She started to."

"Well, Maddie's gone through a bit of a hard time recently so you won't see much of her for a little while. I'm kind of… taking care of her right now. But if you get lonely we can all take turns hanging with you."

"Thanks."

"Well, anyway, let me introduce you to your new roommate, Madeline Hatter, daughter of the Mad Hatter, from Wonderland." As she says this, Raven kneels down beside Cloe and holds open the pocket of her pinafore, Inside is a small girl, no bigger than her hand, with wild turquoise and pink hair, sound asleep in a doily. Cloe looks up in shock.

"Is she always that… size?"

"Oh no, usually she's the same size as you and I, but the Wonderlandian's have the ability to shrink or grow with the aid of certain herbs and spices. This is how she's always dealt with stress and sadness.I'm sure she'll be back to her normal… mad self soon! Anyway, we at least wanted you to meet her, so you know that you actually do have a roommate, even though she'll be missing in action for a few days.

"Well thank you, I hope that she'll be alright." Cloe stares down at the miniature girl a moment longer, shocked by the entire idea of growing and shrinking. "I hate to say it, because you've all told me that she's not feeling well, but shrinking and growing seems like it would be a lot of fun!"

"It can be! It can also get a little disorienting!" Raven says, her eyes staring back into the past.

"Well, I really appreciate all of you helping me so far and I can't wait to get to know you all better. I can tell this is going to be a fun year already! I'm gonna go unpack and get ready to start classes!"

"We'll join you." Cupid, Cloe, and Blondie wave as they leave the room and head down to Cloe's room. At the door Cloe turns and thanks the two girls and waves to them as they head down to their own room.

Once the door is shut Cloe pulls out a small bag, similar to the one Cupid was given, and puts it on her bed. Then she takes a pinch of the earth from her homeland and bows her head to it. She stands in this posture for a few moments, quietly giving thanks for her ability to come to this new and interesting place, and then reaches her hand into her tiny bag and starts pulling out clothes, books, and a large cauldron. All the comforts of home in a faraway land!

Once her room is unpacked she falls on her bad and lets out a happy sigh. "This really will be an interesting year!"


	7. Chapter 5 Continued

**Hello Everyone! I had to break this chapter into two, so please read the first part of Chapter five, before reading this one! Please review! Thanks!**

XXX

Once the commotion is over and everyone has left her room, Raven sits down to work on her thronework. She can hear Apple moving around in the bathroom, singing her favorite melody as she gets dressed and curls her hair. Apple's singing is actually cute, when she isn't doing it too early in the morning. Raven smiles as she twirls her pencil in her fingers. The last week has been both amazing and incredibly hard. She found Maddie drowning in her own tears (literally) and ever since she has been taking care of her (now) very tiny friend. Of course, this has dampened her and Apple's newly discovered fire.

Poor Maddie. Raven peeks into her pinafore pocket at the sleeping girl. She is incredibly cute this size and Raven's heart fills with love for her oldest friend. It is awful that Maddie's heart had to be broken the same night hers became whole.

From behind her, Raven hears the click of a mirrorpad photo. She turns in her chair to find Apple, hair in curlers and fresh from the shower, holding her mirrorpad and blushing.

"Why is everyone taking my picture today?" Raven says with an exasperated sigh.

Apple stares at her with cheeks red as her namesake and her lips pursed. "You look so cute in my clothes!" She bounds across the room, jumps into raven's lap, and covers her face in kisses.

"Apple, watch out for Maddie!" Raven pulls back, making sure her friend is okay.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, sorry. Is she awake? I hope she didn't see that." Apple peeks in at Maddie as well.

"You don't have to worry about Maddie, I'm sure she already knows. The voices probably told her. I've never been able to keep a secret from her." Raven closes her pocket and focuses her attention on her beautiful girlfriend.

"We have to be careful, wouldn't want anyone to see us!" Apple slips her arms around Raven's neck and leans her head on her shoulder, making sure not to put any pressure on Maddie.

"Yeah… I guess not." Raven can't keep the sadness out of her voice. They've only been together a week and a huge problem has already presented itself. They can't be open with their feelings. What would happen to Apple's life if they came out? Her happily ever after? Her kingdom? Raven has wanted to talk about all these things, but Apple is in such bliss it seems almost cruel to bring it up now, besides, it's only been a week, they should just enjoy each other. Who cares if they have to hide?

However, deep down inside she knows this will eventually be a huge problem. The truth is she's going to have to make a major decision. It's not fair of her to ask Apple to give up her whole life for her, so, she has to decide if she's okay being Apple's dirty little secret. Her feelings are strong enough that this could be a decision that will affect her forever. Raven lays her head back and stares up at the ceiling. What is she going to do?"

"I love you, Raven. I've loved you since the moment I saw you." Apple nuzzles her nose into Raven's neck. Her hot breath on Raven's neck sends delightful chills down her body. Apple's words break through the clouds of Raven's worry and fill her vision with a bright purple light.

"I love you too Apple. Somehow you've become my entire world." Raven squeezes the cuddly Princess closer to her, making sure to keep Maddie's pocket safe in the process.

"That's enough, right?" Apple sighs.

Raven looks down at the top of Apple's head and smiles. Is Apple reading her mind? "Of course it's enough! It always will be." As she says it, Raven realizes it is true. She'd do anything for Apple, hell, she'd poison her and follow her destiny if Apple asked her to. She is that far gone.

"Raven."

"Hmmm?"

"I'm sorry how I was to you before. I'm sorry I tried to force you into a destiny you didn't want and I'm sorry I decorated your side of the room with things you don't care about." Apple's voice wavers, tears close at hand.

"Hush hush, Apple, none of that matters now."

"It does matter! I don't know how to explain this, but… the minute I saw you I fell so hard I wanted all of your attention all of the time. It's kinda like how boys flirt before they mature, pulling little girl's ponytails and stuff. I bullied you, and I hate myself for it, but I realize now that it was a way to get you to pay attention to me. To… notice me. Does that make sense?" Apple's breath hitches, but the tears, so close to breaking free, do not come.

"It makes total sense Apple, and I'm not sad about of any of it, in fact, when I look back I find it really endearing. Nobody has ever loved me enough to show me much attention at all, good or bad, except for Maddie, of course. The truth is, I'm to blame as well. I never took the time to learn what your destiny really meant to you. How important this story has always been in your life, instead I just disregarded it as if it were nothing. I'm sorry." Raven caresses Apple's hair (the best she can around her big pink curlers) as she speaks.

"So, we are good with all that then? All of that is behind us?" Apple picks up her head so she can look into her girl's bright violet eyes.

"We are more than good. I'm not worried about the past at all. The past is done. I'll be honest, the future scares me, so all I really care about now is the present. You, Apple White, the girl I love in my arms." Raven puts on a brave face as Apple's eyes fill with tears. They stare at each other for a moment and then Apple nuzzles back into Raven's neck, kissing her soft skin, her earlobe, anything within reach. Raven lays her head back once more, eyes closed, and lets waves of pleasure overcome her.


	8. Chapter 6

**Hi Everyone! A lot of craziness in this chapter! I wanted to let you all know that I ship Blondie and Cupid, but it just cannot be in this fic. Stupid plot! As always, please review! I love hearing what you all have to say and it makes me write faster!**

 **An Enraged Queen, A Drowning Prince, and a Tiny Tea Party**

Lizzie Hearts has had enough!

And when Lizzie Hearts has had enough, the entire school can feel it. Duchess Swan has found their room littered with items the Queen has expressed her anger on. Decks of cards all cut in half, all of Lizzie's hext books with their covers sliced off, even some of Lizzie's most prized croquet mallets have had their heads removed. And it is not just Lizzie's belongings. The castleteria had to replace all the silverware, twice! Some of the statues decorating the school have also been decapitated, and, Unfortunately for Daring Charming, it is he who has put her in this foul mood.

It has been a full week since he has attended classes. Now it is Monday and he is still sitting in his room. At first he was angry, then he was sad, and now he is defeated. A kind of lonely numbness has crept over him. He can't seem to figure out how to move himself from who he was, to who he is. Soon, he will have missed enough classes to be hexpelled, which seems about right. Why would a school full of fairy tales want a boy who has none. There is nothing left to do but give up. So he lays his unwashed body on his filthy bed and opts to do nothing. 'Where is Apple?" he wonders to himself. 'I have become a beast.'

And then his door explodes. Fragments of wood fly everywhere, forcing him to cover his face with his hands. When the dust has settled he puts his arms down and is confronted with a very angry looking Lizzie hearts. She's standing above him, hands on her hips, breathing heavily.

"Go take a shower, Daring."

"Leave me be Lizzie. I will rot here." He turns towards the wall, away from her gaze. Lizzie scoffs and grabs him by the back of the neck and starts pulling his shirt off.

"If you will not take a shower, I will bathe you! Enough is enough!" She succeeds in ripping his shirt off and moves on to his pants. Daring lets out a few (very high-pitched) screams before he finds his voice.

"Lizzie, stop. Lizzie!" But she does not stop. He struggles to hold on to his pants as she tries to pull them off his legs. "Fine! Lizzie, stop! I will take a shower!" He is panting for breath, trying to cover up with the few remaining scraps of his clothing. Lizzie finally lets up and points to his bathroom. He reluctantly gets up and follows her orders.

XXX

Lizzie stands for a moment, breathing heavily from the struggle, then reaches into her pocket and pulls out a very browbeaten frog.

"Fair queen, while I agree wholeheartedly with what you are doing, I must admit that I wish I had not been present for the process."

She puts Hopper down on his bed and gives him the Queen of Heart's stare. "Hopper, this is your room and you are to stay in it. I know that it is incredibly hard to be around Daring right now, but he is lost and he needs friends more than ever. I cannot stay in this room. It is the boy's dormitory and it would be unsightly for someone of my stature to spend the night, but you live here, it makes sense for you to be here, so I need you to be a good friend and stay here with Daring. Understood?" She continues her blistering stare.

"I will do as you have instructed, fair Queen." And Hopper bows his little frog head in acquiescence.

Lizzie gives a satisfied nod, then turns and starts tidying up Daring's room. She opens the curtains, uncovers all of the mirrors, and straightens everything up. When she is done she puts together an outfit of clean clothes, turns to hopper, and kisses him. A poof of magic and human Hopper is sitting on his bed. Lizzie throws the clothes she has chosen for Daring on his lap.

"Take these into the bathroom for Daring." She points to the bathroom as she commands.

Hopper rubs the back of his head while staring in the direction she is pointing. "Lizzie, Daring is a bro and I don't really want to go in there just in case he's… you know…"

"Do you recommend I should go in there?" Lizzie raises an eyebrow and stares at him.

"Well… no, that's a really bad idea. Perhaps we can just leave them in here and both of us could leave and then he could…"

"Hopper. Take. Him. These. Clothes." Lizzie interrupts.

Hopper looks disgustedly at the door, then back at lizzie, than back at the door. He decides the safest path is to do as she says, so he gets up and heads reluctantly into the bathroom.

XXX

Ten minutes later Daring is fully dressed and sitting on his bed. His room is clean and Hopper is back, probably to stay. Everything gleams with a semblance of normalcy. And all of it is thanks to her.

"Thank you Lizzie." His eyes are glued to the ground. Again, he can feel the tears waiting in the wings, but he does not let them have their moment.

"Hopper, I think it's time to get to class."

"Oh man, you're right! See you Daring!" Hopper bolts out the door (or where the door used to be) as fast as he can. Once he is gone Lizzie sits down on the bed and wraps her arms around Daring. The scent of roses overtakes him. Her skin soft as petals. The thorns have retracted.

"Let it out, Daring. If you don't let it out it will build up and you will explode. You have to let it out." She squeezes him tight.

Daring relaxes into her embrace, closes his eyes, and gives the tears free reign, but they will not come. All he can see is an image of Apple running up ahead of him, looking back and smiling, motioning for him to hurry up. Apple standing in front of him and staring down the dog. Why is it that every memory he has of Apple she is always in front of him? 'All I ever see of Apple is her back.' he thinks. 'Is she always leaving, or am I always following?' It seems images of Apple are burned on to his eyelids.

When Apple was little she used to obsessively write her name on everything that was hers. Books, rulers, toys, everything had to be labeled. He can remember laughing at this, which earned him a disdainful stare from the pretty princess, so he kept quiet after that. He can still see her small hands moving ever so slowly across the paper as she worked her hardest to make her handwriting perfect. Everything Apple did had to be perfect. He kept his giggles to himself, even though they really wanted to burst out, because every time Apple was concentrating she stuck her tongue out. Not too much, a shy pink tip sneaking out from between her lips. She had labeled him as well and just like everything else she did, she really took her time. She stuck her arm right into his skull and wrote her name across his mind. It was a long process. It takes a while to claim and own someone.

"God, here I am in the arms of a beautiful woman, all I can do is think of Apple White. Pathetic.' Daring thinks to himself.

The tears won't come, so Daring lets the moment take him. He leans in and kisses Lizzie Hearts. At first the kiss is similar to his first kiss with Apple, but it quickly changes. Lizzie, after her initial shock, kisses back. Her mouth parts slightly, letting him in. Letting him explore. She wants him, wants him to kiss her, wants to kiss him, reciprocation makes all the difference and he realizes that he really does enjoy kissing, especially with Lizzie.

Eventually they separate, both breathing hard. Lizzie puts her hand on Daring's cheek and stares into his eyes.

"I'm not worth it Lizzie. There's nothing here." Daring looks down at his lap, so he doesn't see Lizzie pull her hand back, he just notices the contact break, the ghost of her touch left behind, before she slaps him hard across the face. He looks up and she is standing over him again, cheeks wet with tears. He brings his hand up to his face and rubs his throbbing cheek. "Lizzie, I…"

"Go to class, Daring."

"Lizzie, I can't, what will everyone say about me?"

"Who cares!" Lizzie grabs Daring by the collar of his coat and drags him off the bed and out the door.

"Lizzie, stop!" Daring tries to grab onto the doorframe, anything to stop her from dragging him, but it is no use." "Lizzie, please. I'm not ready to show my face! I'm a failure!"

Lizzie stops and turns to face him. "Well too bad! I'm not going to let you get expelled just because one part of your life didn't work out! You are not a failure. You didn't even have any control over your fairy tale. You are a victim of bad luck. If somebody asks you how you feel, tell them it was bad luck. That's it! I don't care what you say. I don't care how much you cry. I don't even care if I have to sit in all of your classes and make sure you stay. You will go to classes today and if you skip anymore classes you will regret it, believe me. Understand?" She stares at him intently waiting for a response, but Daring doesn't know what to say. So she shrugs, turns around and continues dragging him down the hall.

A feeling explodes over Daring, one that is hard to classify at first, but as it expands Daring realizes it's name. Content. Daring is content. He is content in the same way he was content with Apple. In fact, Lizzie is similar in many ways to Apple. 'This is fine,' he thinks, 'you tell me what to do and I will do it. This could work.' A contented sigh escapes his lips.

"Please stop Lizzie." He waits for her to comply and stands up. "Thank you. I will do as you say and go straight to class." He leans in and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek and heads off before she can respond.

And he is good to his word. He goes to his classes as instructed and when everyone ask them how he is he tells them all the same thing. He's had some bad luck. Everything runs smoothly until after his last class. The halls are filled with people and suddenly everyone is gasping and pointing. He turns to see what all the commotion is about only to find his little bro, Dexter, walking proudly, hand in hand with Cupid. Beside them is some girl Daring has never seen before, all blacks and grays, probably some kind of witch, but that doesn't matter to Daring. All that matters is his rage at Dexter. Dex was supposed to be with Raven! He was supposed to be hurting Apple by taking away the one thing she loved! It was time for Dex and him to have a little conversation.

XXX

Night has fallen and Raven, Maddie, and Cerise are the only ones in the common room. Cerise is playing Call of Beauty while Raven and Maddie watch. Cerise is leaning forward jabbing at the controller while raven is leaning back, her head resting on the back of the couch. Maddie is sitting on Raven's shoulder, cuddled in a nest of her dark purple hair. Maddie has made quite a bit of progress, even revealing to Raven what has been bothering her in their nightly chats. Raven was shocked by all her friend had to say, not even realizing that Maddie swung that way, which is why it was so uncomfortably painful when Cerise asked her friends the question she'd been dying to ask all evening.

"Hey guys… um… What do you guy think of Kitty Cheshire?" Cerise tries to crawl back into her hood after she asks, hoping that her friends won't notice her obvious blush. Raven can't stop herself from bringing her palm to her face. How awful this must be for Maddie. Maddie let's out a slow startled breath and digs deeper into Raven's hair.

"I don't really know her that well, but she seems nice to me." Raven tries to answer as neutral as possible.

"Yeah, I think she's nice too. What do you think, Maddie?" Cerise turns her attention to the tiny girl.

"The ribbon that blows in trade winds always flies upstream, because flying downstream is hex-stream-ly hard!" Maddie pops her head out of Raven's hair to answer, then drops back down into her nest. Raven's heart breaks at her friend's words. Luckily Cerise doesn't speak riddlish, so she makes up a completely different meaning for the statement.

"Maddie says she thinks she's nice too, they grew up together." Raven says with false joviality. She doesn't like lying, especially not to her friend, but the loss and sadness of Maddie's statement might push Cerise into self-doubt and that would be detrimental to the poor girl. The room goes silent. Cerise is blushing up a storm and the other two don't have anything else to say. Raven searches for anything to talk about.

"Hey, did you guys see Cupid and Dexter in the hall today?" Raven asks, hoping the topic is intriguing enough to get the conversation running smoothly again.

"I heard about it! I guess you don't have to worry about Dexter anymore!" Cerise jumps at the opportunity to change the subject.

"That's true. I was really nervous about talking to him, but everything sorted itself out. They make a cute couple, I'm happy for them." Raven shrugs her shoulders which makes Maddie fall to the side of her neck.

"Me too. Speaking of cute couples, how are things going with you and Apple?" Cerise gives Raven a conspiratorial bump with her elbow. Now it is Raven's turn to blush. Maddie pops out of her hair and starts fanning herself.

"Wow! It got hot in there all of sudden!" Maddie gives Cerise a wink causing a tinkling giggle.

"Apple and I are… Hex, you guys, it's wonderlandiful! I never could have imagined how happy Mrs. Bossy-Apple-white could make me! I know I really flipped the script, and it happened fast, but it is so right!"

"Good for you, Raven. I'm happy to see us all getting our wishes!" Cerise returns to the game as Raven feels another pang of sadness for Maddie. It's not Cerise's fault, she doesn't know anything about Maddie and Kitty, but Raven wishes she would just stop talking for a while.

"Speaking of Apple, I bet she's wondering where we are. I'm going to head upstairs." Raven stands up, holding on to Maddie so she doesn't fall off of her shoulder. Cerise is already completely sunk into her game so she gives them a quick wave as they leave.

The two girls are silent as they head for the dorms. It isn't until the reach the relative privacy of the stairs that Raven speaks.

"I'm sorry about all the things Cerise said, Maddie. I know that must be awful."

Maddie is quiet for a moment. "All I want is Kitty's happiness. She deserves it." Maddie can feel the tears coming, so she focuses all her will and pushes everything down. Hard. She can feel Raven's breath catching as well, so she quickly changes the subject.

"I wonder if Dexter is planning to talk to you? I mean, he doesn't know about you and Apple, so it seems kind of strange that he would just suddenly start holding Cupid's hand."

"Honestly, I'm just glad we don't have to have the conversation. We could barely sit in the same room together without being so nervous our stomachs would twist into knots, I can't imagine what a serious conversation would do to our nerves. The more I look back the more obvious it seems to me that we were never a good match. What was I thinking?" Raven shakes her head just as they arrive at her dormitory.

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" A very hexcited and bespectacled Apple White jumps up from her desk and runs towards them. She gives Raven a kiss on the cheek then leans in to speak to Maddie.

"Hey Maddie." Apple's smile is full to bursting and both Raven and Maddie can tell that she is trying to hold in her excitement. Raven rolls her eyes, knowing that Apple can never keep her excitement in for long. Just as she expected Apple lets out an excited squeak and grabs Maddie and starts dancing around the room. Maddie starts giggling uncontrollably as she is whisked through the air. Raven can't even imagine what it must feel like to Maddie. It would be like riding a roller coaster and jumping off a dragon at the same time. Maybe she should ask Tiny to pick her up sometime. Better yet, she should shrink down and let Apple hold her!

Apple eventually ends up jumping on the bed a few times then falling down. She holds Maddie to her chest and squeezes her. Maddie continues to giggle wildly as she is cuddled directly into Apple's bosom.

"Um… Apple… Maddie's not a doll, she's a girl, just like us. You probably shouldn't… She's right in-between your…" Raven gives up. She can't tell if she is offended for Maddie, afraid for Maddie's safety, or completely jealous. In the end she decides that she is absolutely going to have to get some shrinking cake from Maddie! For now, she'd try a different tactic. "Hey Apple, we should have some night time tea." Apple stops hugging Maddie and looks up at Raven.

"Tiny tea party?"

Raven nods her head.

"Yay!" She sits up and puts Maddie on her desk. Maddie sways back and forth, obviously completely dizzy and out of breath, then falls over. It takes her a few minutes to recover. Raven grabs her desk chair and brings it over to Apple's desk.

Once Maddie is feeling better she stands up and pulls out a tea table completely set with everything needed for a tea party. She pours Raven a cup of tea, straight, just like she likes it, and then pours Apple one with two lumps. The tea cups are so small the girls have to pinch them in-between their thumbs and index fingers. Maddie is sipping away happily at her own cup while Raven and Apple both throw their cups back and enjoy their one drop of tea!

An hour later and everyone is in bed. Apple begged to sleep with Maddie and Raven had to explain, again, that Apple rolls around in her sleep too much. Apple pouted for a while, but was soon sound asleep. Raven and Maddie are still awake, laying next to each other on Raven's purple pillow.

"Hey Raven."

"Yes Maddie?"

"You are very lucky."

"I really am. Apple is wonderful."

"She's cool. I like her. Plus, she has amazing boobs!"

Raven lets out a groan and turns her back to Maddie. "Go to bed, Maddie."

Maddie turns on her side as well, lets out a giggle, and closes her eyes. just as she is falling asleep Raven startles her awake.

"Maddie?"

"Yes Raven?"

"I really am lucky. I am lucky to have a best friend like you. I know that you're going through a rough time now and I wanted you to know I love you." Raven sniffles quietly.

"Thanks Raven. Honestly, I feel like I want to die. But, the pain is less than it was yesterday. And it will be less tomorrow, until eventually I'll be me again! Crazy 'ol me!" Maddie's not sure if this is true or not, but it will help Raven feel a little better, and if she says it enough maybe it will be true. Maddie scoots forward on her side until she is up against the back of Raven's head. She gives her giant friend a kiss and cuddles in. Kitty is gone, but she still has Raven. She still has Cerise. Hex, she still has Apple. And maybe one day she'll have Kitty again, just not in the same way. It'll probably never stop hurting, but with the help of these wonderful ladies, it'll be a lot easier. These thoughts slowly drift away as she falls asleep.

XXX

Cerise can't seem to fall asleep. Something is bothering her, but she can't really pin down what it is. Her friends seem different somehow. Cold. Has she offended them? All she wanted to do was talk about Kitty. She wanted them to tease her about her crush and laugh at her. To give her advice on how to move forward, hex, she needed them now more than ever and they've both gone cold.

Cerise is overwhelmed with an emotion she is incredibly familiar with. Loneliness. She lets out a sigh and rolls over on her side. As she has always done, she lets the emotion flow over her and accepts it. Perhaps her friends don't like her as much as she thought they did. She'd have to talk with them again tomorrow, see if she is misreading the situation. Really, she just needs help reading Kitty.

Kitty. Kitty touching her cheek, Kitty rubbing her ear, every memory of Kitty is locked up tight in her heart, displayed over and over again to her desire drenched mind. She imagines Kitty, laying beside her in bed, the two of them facing. How wonderful would it be to be able to reach out her hand and touch Kitty's soft smiling cheek. To run her fingers over that Cheshire smile.

Cerise must've fallen asleep because she can actually see the Cheshire smile in front of her, turned sideways as if she is laying right next to her. Cerise smiles and reaches her hand out just as Kitty fully appears right next to her in bed. Just as Cerise's hand touches Kitty's soft cheek, Kitty whispers.

"Hi Puppy!"

Cerise's eyes widen in shock as she realizes that this is not a figment of her imagination. Kitty is literally in bed with her. And suddenly on top of her! Kitty is wild! She turns Cerise on her back and straddles her, then comes in for a kiss, hungry, full of terrifying passion, so that all Cerise can do is cover her face with her arms.

"Too fast, Kitty! Kitty! Too fast, too fast!" Kitty is inches from her face, blocked from view by her own arms, but Cerise can feel the warmth of Kitty's impassioned breathing. Can smell the cat's earthy breath. "I'm sorry, please, slow down." Cerise is trying to catch her breath.

Kitty slips off of her and makes to get off the bed, but before she can get up Cerise grabs the back of her pajamas.

"Hold on Kitty, please, don't go. I'm glad to see you. Just, slow down. Come here." Cerise pulls a reluctant Kitty back into bed with her. They both lay on their sides, facing each other. Cerise gives Kitty a smile. "I was actually just thinking of you, wishing you were here. You've solved a bit of a problem I've been having!" Cerise whispers as quiet as she can, praying to the gods that Cedar doesn't wake up.

"What problem is that?" Kitty asks, her Cheshire smile returning.

"Whether or not Kitty likes girls. And, if she likes girls, whether or not she would be interested in me." Cerise blushes terribly and hopes the darkness covers it up.

"Well, I guess this late night visit answers all of those questions!"

"It does, and I can't tell you how happy I am, but I also learned something else. Kitty Cheshire is obviously a lot more experienced than I am."

"That is probably true."

"Can I ask you a favor, Kitty? Can we go slow? You are my first crush and all of this is new to me, so can we go slow?" Cerise watches Kitty intently.

"I'll be honest, puppy. I'm not good at slow. I decide what I want and I take it." Kitty watches as Cerise looks down, obviously disappointed. "But for you, Cerise, I will do anything." Kitty smiles as Cerise's head pops back up.

"Thank you Kitty!"

"Don't thank me yet! There is one thing I have to show you and I won't take no for an answer!" Kitty slides her head forward, closer to Cerise.

"What do you need to show me?"

"This."

And before Cerise can stop her Kitty is kissing her. Those thin Cheshire lips, so soft on her own lips. Roses of light explode behind Cerise's eyelids as she leans forward and lets the Cat drive where this kiss will take them. Just as Cerise parts her lips, hoping to let Kitty show her more, Kitty pulls away. Cerise tries to grab on, tries to pull her closer, but the cat girl slips from her grasp.

"That's all for now Puppy. We will take this slow!" Her grin seems to light up the room as she slowly fades away, eventually leaving Cerise in darkness. Cerise rolls over on her back, stares up at the ceiling, and lets out a laugh. 'It seems that it will be impossible to ever win against her!" Cerise whispers as she runs her tongue across her lips, hoping to get another taste of Kitty.


	9. Chapter 7

**Hello all you lovely readers! This is the beginning of everything falling apart for our characters. The next chapter will be the end of part 2 and it's about to get crazy! I'm heading out of town for a week, so it might be a little longer before my next post. Also, The writer of this fic in no way agrees with Daring's interpretation of Raven. I love her just as much as all of you!**

 **This is not my favorite chapter, in fact, I think it could use some help! I'm sure I will do a massive edit and overhaul of this piece a few years from now, but I wanted to get it to you guys as soon as possible.**

 **As always, please leave reviews. It is the only currency we fan-fiction writers get for our work and believe me, we love it! Thanks!**

 **A Trip, Some Cuddles, and a Game of Wits**

Raven is pulled from a strange dream by someone pushing their way into her bed. The dream was awful. She and Apple were talking and Raven kept telling her over and over again that she loved her and wanted to be with her, but every time Apple tried to cuddle or kiss her, Raven would push her away. Apple got more and more frustrated throughout the dream until she finally broke down and wept. Raven just stood there, watching her cry and making no move to comfort her. In the dream she was overpowered by her love for the sobbing princess, but her body would not react the way she expected. She just kept pushing the princess away from her over and over again. As she becomes more and more cognizant with waking she notices the distinct sense of foreign magic surrounding her.

Now, with the dream fading from her memory, she realizes that she is being smashed against the wall by a wriggling Apple. Raven stays quiet, trying to stifle a giggle, but Apple senses she is awake and looks up at her with very blue eyes.

"Good morning, Apple. You know my bed is pretty big so you don't have to smash me up against the wall."

"I woke up and I saw you, sleeping, and it was okay when she was little, but now… I got a little jealous." Apple looks down with a blush.

"Apple, what are you talking about?" Raven sits up a little in a bed and notices that Maddie, now full size, is clinging to Apple's back.

"Oh! I guess she's done being small!" Raven looks back down at Apple. "So you got jealous and snuck in-between us?" Raven gives Apple a smile.

"Mmhmm." The light brush of red across Apple's cheeks is so beautiful that Raven can't stop herself from taking the messy-haired Blonde into her arms and squeezing with all her might. The scent of Apple's pajamas, her messy hair, her face sans makeup, all of it is beautiful. Apple nuzzles in and hugs back, her hands wandering across Raven's back, until… suddenly the hands are tickling and Raven is rolling and pushing, trying everything she can to get away from the torturous tickling. Apple's eyes have a mischievous glint and Raven can't stop giggling. Finally she gives a huge push, hoping to get Apple off of her, which sends Maddie flying off the bed and onto the floor. Apple stops tickling and looks at Raven guiltily, but before either of them can say anything, Maddie springs up to a standing position.

"One off the boat takes a ride in the castle moat!" Her eyes are full of surprise. She looks down at herself and then over at the girls in bed. "I'm big again!" Her confused look is replaced by a dazzling smile.

"Yes, it must've happened in the night." Raven crawls reluctantly out of bed and begins picking her clothes for the day. It's a Sunday, so she doesn't have to worry about school.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to go back to my room!" Maddie stands at attention and gives the girls a salute.

"Maddie, you are always welcome here, if you need anything just come over." Apple gets out of bed and gives Maddie a hug.

"Feel better Maddie, don't keep it all in, okay?" Raven gives her friend a big hug.

"Thanks for everything you two, charm you later!" Once Maddie is gone Raven turns back to her wardrobe and begins rummaging through, finally picking her hangout-and-be-lazy clothes.

"You aren't going to want to wear those." Apple says from behind her.

"Why not?"

"Because I want to steal you today and make up for a mistake I made." Apple looks at Raven imploringly.

"Okay, but what mistake?"

"All of… this." Apple sweeps her arm dramatically across the room. "This evil furniture, the evil crown, even the evil throne. All of it will be taken out today. And while it's being removed, you and I will go to Bookend and get you some new things, my treat. I'm sorry for the way I acted. I want to make it up to you."

"Oh Apple, It's not a big thing. You don't have to make it up to me." Raven tucks a stubborn strand of her sleep tussled hair behind her ear.

"Okay, I don't have to, I want to. Please let me."

"Okay." Raven lets out a sigh. It's better to let Apple have her way, besides, a day of being spoiled by Apple sounds amazing!

"Yay! Apple jumps up and starts picking out her clothes for the day. She grabs a delicate sundress with sunflowers on it and turns to Raven. "And I want you to wear this."

"In public?" Raven can't hold back her blush.

"Yes! You're not the evil queen! You are choosing your own destiny, remember? I think it's about time you stopped dressing like the evil queen." Apple takes the dress off the hanger and hands it to Raven.

"Who are you and what have you done with Apple?" Raven takes the dress.

"Ha ha. Very funny Raven. I know I'm flipping the script, but honestly, I just don't see it in you. I've told you that before. Besides, I think you make a much better Prince." Apple gives Raven a quick kiss. "Anyway, let's get out of here!" Apple grabs her shower supplies and heads for the bathroom. A few minutes later Raven hears the sound of running water. She holds the dress up to her face, smells the fabric, and tries to hold back her tears. Finally, the evil queen everyone told her she had to become is dead. Apple has given her the one thing that means the most to her. Freedom.

XXX

Cloe lost her. Something must've woken her up. She draws her magic back from Raven and extinguishes the black flames under her cauldron with a wave of her arm. It is impossible to speak to Raven of the terrible things that are about to befall her, honor forbids it, but she can always send dreams. Cloe Has been speaking, sending, and interpreting dreams since before she could remember and the same question always remains. Did the intended get it? Would Raven understand her warning?

She is just finishing tidying up from the spell when there is a light knock on the door. She puts the last component on the shelf and opens the door only to be confronted with a pair of legs hanging from the top of the doorframe. She leans out and peeks up at her roommate.

"Hey Cloe, I got thinking about balloons and suddenly found myself floating. Could you be a dear and pull me down?"

Cloe's never seen magic like this. In fact she can't even read any magical signature coming off the girl. It's as if floating in the air is as natural as walking. She reaches out, slowly, and pulls on the girl's leg. She seems as light as air, but the minute her feet touch the floor everything goes normal.

"I've never seen anything like that. How did you do it?" Cloe asks as she steps aside to allow Maddie entrance.

"Isn't that normal?" Maddie shrugs off the question.

"No!"

"Oh, I didn't realize that! I definitely won't be able to do it again!" Maddie gives a giggle as she heads over to her dresser and deposits her things in a drawer. She then turns back to Cloe and introduces herself. "I know you've already met me, but I haven't you, so this ritual, we must still go through. I am Madeline Xylophone Hatter, daughter of the mad Hatter." She reaches her hand out to Cloe.

"I am Cloe Fate. Daughter of Clotho. Nice to meet you." She shakes Maddie's hand.

"Now, this next part is always fun. We are roommates, so we both agree to be best friends ever after and so on, and that part is coming, but before it does, I have one question." Maddie's eyes lock on Cloe's and her smile suddenly seems to to take up altogether too much of her face. But the girl doesn't say another word. Just keeps smiling at her. And her smile just keeps getting bigger. 'What the hex,' Cloe thinks 'is this girl insane?' As if spurred by this thought another smile, disembodied and floating in midair, appears next to Maddie. Cloe tries to back up but Maddie still has her hand. The room suddenly seems darker and more malevolent. 'What magic is this?' The disembodied smile is suddenly turning into another girl standing next to Maddie. As big as Maddie's smile has gotten is nothing compared to the smile on this magically appearing purple-haired girl. The malevolence in the room is reaching a fever pitch and Cloe still gets no magical signature from the two girls. She lets out a shaky sigh and prepares to ignite some of her own magic, but Maddie begins speaking.

"Sorry, what was I saying? Oh yes, I was listening to the voices. To answer your first question, yes I am insane, which, most of the time is great fun! But sometimes I slip into a different state of mind and that… isn't as fun. Now on to my question. Why are you sending Raven dreams? What are you trying to do to her?"

Cloe's mouth drops open. "How did you know?"

"The voices!"

"Okay, look, let me explain. I'm trying to help your friend. She is part of a situation… that she doesn't realize. It will all play out, and it won't be pretty, so I wanted to give her a warning. I honestly, and you must believe this, only want to make sure that she is okay and help her in any way I can." Cloe keeps her eyes locked to Maddie's.

"What situation?" This from the purple-haired girl.

"Honestly, I can't tell you. I would if I could, but I am honor bound to keep my mouth shut and observe. And I warn you, I will die before I break honor." With these words Cloe releases a wave of her magic. It erupts in black flames all around her. Flames darker than night, and she hopes that these two strange girls count as mortal, because any mortal that stares into her magic will see visions of suffering and madness beyond description. Her magic merely reflects back the viewers worst fears, but it is devastating to most. Maddie and the purple-haired girl both stare into the flames for a moment then jump back with a start. Cloe's hand is finally released. "Please believe me. I'm here to help Raven."

The suffocating darkness of the room lets up and light begins to flow normally once again.

"Thanks Kitty, I think we're done." Maddie turns to kitty, watches her disappear, then turns back to Cloe. All of the insanity has drained from her face and she looks… pained. In fact she looks like a lost and abused little puppy. She keeps looking at the spot where Kitty just was and Cloe is afraid she is going to start crying.

"Hey Cloe, we are going to be roommates, so let's be friends. Would you like to be my friend?" Maddie's holds out her hand again. Cloe watches in shock as the mad girl puts away the sadness that is written all over her face and replaces it with a beaming smile.

"Of course, Maddie. I'll be honest, we're off to a really weird start, but I know you are worried about your best friend, which I completely understand. I'm here because I am incredibly worried about my best friend as well, so we actually have a lot in common. So, if you mean it, then yes, I would like to be your friend." Cloe reaches out, reluctantly, and takes Maddie's hand. Before she can stop it Maddie has yanked her into a hug.

"Yay! I love new friends! We must celebrate with tea!" And Maddie has a tea table, fully set, within seconds.

As Cloe, drinks tea with her new friend she thinks to herself, 'I'm going to have to guard my thoughts around this one. I wouldn't want to betray honor with a stray thought.'

"But, would it actually be breaking honor if you merely thought it? One should not be judged for their thoughts" Says a smiling Maddie, as she pours Cloe another cup of tea.

XXX

Daring knocks lightly on Dexter's door and then lets himself in. Dexter is sitting on his bed looking at his mirror phone, but he stands up when he sees Daring.

"Daring! You're out of your room! That is fantastic! it is good to see you out and about." Dexter stops short of his brother and gives him a once over.

Daring hadn't thought about how his brother would feel through all of this. The last thing he expected, however, was for Dexter to be happy, but he was. Daring could see it through all of his mock concern. His brother always complained that Daring got all the girls and now he has lost one. Not just one, the one. 'I bet he is loving this,' Daring thinks, 'well, we'll see how long that lasts.'

"Hey little bro, sorry to worry you, but I'm feeling much better now. I actually came here because I'm worried about you."

"Worried about me? Why?"

"I saw you holding Cupid's hand in the hall. What about Raven? Man you were doing so good! She was way into you!" Daring puts a brotherly hand on Dexter's shoulder, which makes Dexter shrink. His posture sags and his eyes lock with the floor.

"Yeah… Cupid came to me and confessed her true feelings and I realized that I really like her." Dexter shuffles his feet back and forth as he speaks.

"Dex, you're just going for what is easy! A truly amazing girl takes work! Raven is worth the time!" Daring can feel Dexter tense under his hold.

"Yeah, I don't know, I'm really nervous around Raven, but when I talk to Cupid I feel so relaxed. She listens to me. She cares about me. And I think the feeling is mutual. I know you are just looking out for me, big bro, but I'm telling you, I think Cupid is the one for me." Dexter still can't look up.

"She's tricking you, man. She the daughter of the Goddess of love, she's pulling some kind of trick on you." Daring notices that Dexter is shaking under his hand. He's got him now. "Ignore her tricks. You and I both know that you and Raven were made for each other! The reason you get so nervous around her is because it is true love! You can both feel it!" Daring looks down, but instead of seeing the top of Dexter's head as he expected, he is confronted with Dexter's eyes. Staring right at him.

"And what do you know about true love, Daring? You couldn't even wake up your princess!" Dexter's face is red and defiant. Daring takes a step back. He never expected these words, so sharp and painful, to come from his brother. His mind goes instantly numb at the unexpected low blow. Daring would have never believed that his pride could be hurt worse than his embarrassing moment with Apple, but he was wrong. His little brother, staring up at him defiantly and saying the most hurtful words imaginable was worse. Daring wants to run.

"Little Bro," Daring reaches out his hand, hoping to reestablish some form of authority.

"Don't do that, Daring. You know What I think? You talk about Raven so much, it's all you and I seem to ever talk about, you must be in love with her. I'm sorry I said those hurtful things, Daring, I am, but I'm tired. Raven isn't my type. You know it and I know it. I think we both know the truth. You're in love with Raven. That's why you talk about her so much. You wanted me to go out with her so you could keep her close without hurting Apple, but now, Daring, you don't have to pretend. Apple's not your princess anymore, so you can make your own happily ever after with Raven." Dexter reaches out and places his hand on Daring's shoulder and even this small gesture seems like a betrayal. Another jab at his pride. Daring looks down and laughs.

"This is what you took from all this, Dex? I'm in love with Raven? You're an idiot. Raven is nothing compared to her. Raven doesn't even deserve to be anywhere near her!" Daring doesn't realize that he is screaming.

"Near who?" Dexter drops his hand and takes a step back.

"Apple! You think I would even notice Raven when she is standing next to Apple White? Raven? With her half-assed attempts at rebellion and her wishy-washy desires to change her destiny! Raven is weak. She is a child playing at control, but she can't control anything! She doesn't even lead the rebels! They just kind of… followed her. She is blundering through greatness, but Apple… Apple is yanking greatness out of thin air and creating it with her bare hands. That is strength, Dexter! That is power, true power! The power of a queen. The power to destroy self. To become what your kingdom needs you to be! Apple has done this, and she helped me do it too! That is sacrifice! Raven is an embarrassment who is just taking the easy way out!" Daring's face is bright red and he's breathing heavy.

"Oh Daring." Dexter reaches out again, but Daring is already leaving.

Daring turns and runs out the door before his little brother can rip at his pride anymore. Raven! How could Dex be so dense? How could anyone even notice Raven when Apple was standing next to her! His plan with Dexter and Raven had failed, but it didn't matter. He would've preferred Dexter with Raven, that way he could spend more time with Raven and hurt Apple, but he would have to adapt. Apple still wouldn't get Raven, so it didn't matter, he'd still get to watch her fall apart!

XXX

This weight in her arms. This excited laugh. This silky hair. This smile. This warmth. Cerise is in love. All she wants is Kitty. All of her childhood dreams and desires have been replaced by Kitty.

For the past week Kitty has been meeting her after classes for a run, but today has been especially nerve wracking, after what happened last night. But Kitty hasn't said anything and neither has Cerise, so she just grabs Kitty and… starts running.

And now she is in love and love is complicated. Cerise is nervous about Kitty's past. What has she done? Who has she been with? She tries not to think about these things, but her mind won't let up. She's jealous. Someone had Kitty before her. Someone had all the firsts that she was hoping to have with Kitty. Just holding Kitty in her arms was so thrilling it made Cerise's heart explode! But who was holding Kitty before? Did being held still excite Kitty, or was she already used to it?

Her mind won't quiet down, so she changes direction and heads deeper into the forest.

"This is deeper into the forest than you've ever taken me. You aren't planning something naughty are you?" Kitty gives her a sly smile.

"Of course not. I want to show you something." Cerise can't hide her blush because her hands are full, which Kitty takes full advantage of by reaching up and pulling off Cerise's hood. The wind feels good against her ears, but not as good as the light caress of Kitty's hand on her cheek.

"So beautiful. Every time I look at you you take my breath away." Kitty's hand lingers on Cerise's cheek.

"We're here." Cerise comes to a stop, but doesn't put Kitty down. They are standing in a clearing with a large mountain in front of them.

"Where is here?" Kitty looks around.

"This is the tallest mountain in the dark forest. One day I'm going to make it to the top. You see that stunted shrub sticking out of that cliff face three quarters of the way up? That's as far as I've gotten." Cerise stands proudly looking up at her nemesis.

"Silly puppy! You're so used to doing things on your own you forget about the people around you. The people who love you. I want you to do something for me Cerise, but I need you to promise to do everything I say. Do you trust me?" Kitty looks up imploringly at Cerise.

"Wow, I really do. I totally trust you."

"Good. Close your eyes." Cerise does as she is told. "Now breath in and out very slowly. Whatever you do, do not open your eyes. Focus only on your breathing. You are going to feel a cold gust of wind in three. Two. One." Kitty's voice fades away and Cerise is engulfed in a cold wind. The wind is fresh and seems to lift her into the air. Then, just as soon as it appeared, the gust is gone, replaced by a slightly chilly breeze. "Keep breathing. Now open your eyes."

And Cerise opens her eyes to find that she is no longer in the same place. She is standing on craggy rocks on the top of the mountain. Her heart leaps as she realizes Kitty has helped her reach her peak. She is finally on the tallest peak in the Dark forest. Cerise puts Kitty down, walks to the very edge, throws her head back, and lets out a long howl. She listens intently for a few seconds, and then jumps for joy when she hears a return howl from the direction of Ever After High. Her father had heard her.

"Kitty! Thank you, thank you, thank you! How I've longed for this day! Traveling with you was so much easier this time!" Cerise swoops Kitty up into a hug. "And you know what, You're beautiful! I'm not as good at expressing myself as you are, but I really mean that. You are gorgeous! I can't believe I'm…" But Cerise never finishes that sentence. Kitty's lips lock over hers and this time, Kitty doesn't pull away before it starts getting good.


	10. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone, I'm back from my crazy internet-less vacation! While I was gone I wrote up this chapter! This story had such a simple plot when I started writing it, but now it is branching out in so many ways! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It ends with a cliffhanger, sorry!**

 **I refer to Apple's eyes in this chapter as Alice Blue. I was introduced to this color by thefanshipdarkhorse, and I am now totally obsessed!**

 **Please leave reviews, I love hearing from all of you.**

 **A Day Out, Kisses, and A Deadly Mirror**

The village of bookend is abustle with happy fairy tales, but none as happy as Raven. Apple is dragging her from store to store, lavishing attention on her, and everywhere they go passersby stop to watch the two girls. It's not every day one gets to see the future queen of Ever After dragging her unusually brightly dressed villain around town!

Raven is blushing so hard it's probably permanent and Apple's energy seems endless. Raven stands back and watches her talking to a clerk at the furniture store. For the past half an hour they've been trying out beds, lying next to each other on each mattress, trying to find one that is just right (as Blondie would say). As she watches Apple, Raven can't help but smile. How could there be a girl so perfect. Her smile, her constant happiness, her adorable naivety, Raven couldn't have imagined a better match.

Everything is perfect, so why is Raven scared? That's easy. She knows this cannot last. There is no way this happiness will survive. Apple is the most important person in Ever After, there is no way her parents are going to accept that she wants to be with Raven. The question is not 'how can I be with Apple forever?', the question is 'how long can I be with Apple?' Apple herself, of course, isn't even thinking about this. Talk about living in the moment! Monks hoping to reach enlightenment are trying to live just like Apple White. The future is the future, it'll all work out! Well, Apple, that is probably not the case.

Kind of stupid to fight a losing battle. The best thing to do is live like Apple, in the moment! So Raven stuffs all her fears down deep and experiences this perfect moment. This lightweight sundress has hung from Apple's beautiful frame and now it hangs from her own. She is colorful, bright, happy, all the evil queen drama is in the past. Soon her room will be decorated the way she wants and she can just be a normal girl!

After a whole morning of shopping the girls return to school with their arms loaded with shopping bags. On the way back they cut through a corner of the enchanted forest and take a break on the old gazebo. Apple throws down all her bags down and lays on the old wooden floor. Raven puts her bags down and joins her.

"I'm going to die! I'm so tired of walking. Carry me the rest of the way, Raven!" Apple turns and looks at her, eyes imploring.

"How about a piggyback ride?" Raven giggles and Apple smiles, then they both turn their heads and stare at the trees above them. The leaves are turning and the canopy is a lovely palette of yellows, reds, and oranges. The day is chilly, but the cool air fills Raven's lungs with the strangest nostalgia she's ever experienced, nostalgia for the moment she currently inhabits. This nostalgia is sour and tastes green. It hasn't had time to sweeten with age.

Raven has found that she can break Nostalgia into three parts, first the event, steeped in the cold truth of reality, then, with time, her mind falsifies the memory and allows it to ripen into the beauty of untruth, or the embellished memory, and finally the trigger, some recollection of the past, that allows her mind to embrace the falsified memory. This nostalgia, that she is experiencing now, cuts out the the second step. The moment Raven is currently experiencing is pouring directly into memory and nostalgia simultaneously, with no need for the embellishment of memory. She's nostalgic for a moment she is currently experiencing and she can tell that this will be a memory she will cherish forever. Lying on the cold floor of the gazebo with Apple White, the most beautiful woman she's ever known, watching as the blonde's chest rises and falls, the fabric of her dress bending slightly with each breath, Raven decides she wants this to be a moment they both remember, so she rolls on top her princess and lightly pins her wrists. Apple looks up at her wide eyed and defenseless so Raven does as she pleases, she leans in for a kiss.

Every kiss she's given Apple thus far has been wonderful, but this is more than a kiss. This is a kiss with the promise of things to come. Unexplored things far beyond kissing. This is sexual passion given form. This is parted lips and shy tongues and when Raven pulls away a thin strand of saliva spins out between them and shines in the light, and this too seems beautiful, a perfect visual for the heartstrings that connect the two of them. Raven is contemplating this visual metaphor when she hears a gruff and angry voice from behind them.

"Apple? Raven? What the hex are you doing?" Raven flips around to find Daring standing there. His face is red and his hands are bunched up into ugly looking fists. Raven jumps off of Apple and sits up. Apple sits up behind her.

"Daring, what are you doing here?" Apple is shaken, her face burning red, but she does her best to cover. "Raven and I were just doing some shopping and I got something in my eye, so she was trying to help me get it out…" She trails off, hoping this ridiculous excuse will work. Unfortunately, it doesn't.

"Oh come on Apple! Don't give me that! I just watched the two of you kissing!" His eyes are red and his throat hurts from holding back tears. He's trying to stay calm but his voice is coming out loud and angry. "Raven, you're not gay, you're in love with my brother. I know attraction when I see it, and you were very much attracted to him. How the hex did… this happen?"

"Daring, please…" Apple tries to talk but Daring interrupts her.

"Please what? Apple? Please don't point out that your girl crush had a big thing for my brother, or please don't bother the two of you? Is this how the brilliant Apple White's legacy is destroyed? Is this how everything we built is destroyed? Grinding on your villain in the enchanted forest? You are disgusting Apple! You gave it all away so easily! What about us? What about what we built? Does any of that matter?" A few tears slip out, which only serves to frustrate Daring more.

"Daring." Raven tries to cut in

"Shut up Raven! I hope you guys enjoyed that kiss, because it will be your last. This will be all over the school by tonight. What do you think Headmaster Grimm will have to say about this? What about your parents?"

"Daring!" Raven screams loud enough to finally get Daring's attention. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What am I forgetting?"

"Me." And raven lights up like a torch. The magic surrounding Raven is so powerful and malevolent that even Apple backs away. Daring instantly reaches for his sword, but he is not wearing it.

"No, Raven, please stop." Apple gets up on shaky feet. Daring is backing away slowly.

"You are not going to say of word of this to anyone. I'm not going to lose my happily ever after because of you." Raven's voice is doubled by a deeper, darker voice, coming somewhere from deep inside. A secret evil place locked away inside Raven's heart.

"Raven, please, I'm begging you please stop. This isn't you." Apple is moving around slowly in front of Raven.

"Your happily ever after? What about my… our… Apple and my happily ever after? We've been working on this since we were children!" Daring falls bak onto the grass. Suddenly he's a little boy again and Raven is a terrible dog, barking at him. Laying on the grass, trying to crawl away from Raven, tears the last shred of Daring's pride from him and a seething anger, molten and destructive, fills the area his pride used to inhabit. "I will ruin you." He growls up at Raven.

"Then I must silence you." A manic grin spreads across Raven's face.

"Raven, if you have any love for me you will stop this instant!" Apple jumps in front of Daring with her arms out, obviously protecting him.

"Fine!" A powerful magic explodes from Raven and Apple and Daring freeze in place, both of them glowing a purple hue from the spell Raven has cast. The spell that freezes them both in time.

Raven covers her face with her hands and sobs. she holds one hand out towards Apple and draws the magic that is holding Apple in place back into herself. Apple looks around confused for a moment before sprinting forward and catching Raven as she collapses.

"Oh Apple, Daring is going to ruin everything! This is all so wonderful…You're so wonderful! I'm not ready for it to end!" Raven looks up into Apple's Alice blue eyes.

"What are you talking about? I don't want to lose you, Raven. Why would we break up?" Apple wipes Raven's tears away.

"Oh come on Apple. Haven't you thought about our future at all? What's going to happen when your mom finds out about us? What happens when your mom calls and tells you that the queen of Ever After cannot abandon her prince for the villain of her story? You're all about your destiny. This can't work in the long run!" Raven breaks down sobbing again. Apple looks to the side as her hands pull away from Raven's face and fall limply to the ground.

"I thought you understood me, Raven. I thought I had made myself clear that first night we confessed to each other." Apple's lips pull into a tension filled thin white line. Raven, reaches up and caresses her cheek.

"What do you mean?"

"I told you. I know what I am and I didn't want you to confess to me if you didn't mean it, because if you did confess, I would give myself to you completely, remember? Well, you did confess and I have given myself to you completely."

"But Apple, what about your destiny?" Raven rubs a finger gently over Apple's angry lips.

"To hell with my destiny!" Apple finally looks back down at Raven. "You are my destiny! You were my destiny the moment I saw you! I have never loved anyone as much as I love you! I don't care if I lose my fairy tale. I don't care if I lose my kingdom. I want nothing but you!" Apple cups Raven's face. "Am I making myself clear?"

Raven's eyes are wide in shock. "Apple, this is crazy! You are so strong and all that strength came from your destiny! You are the Apple White!"

"You know what feels great to a person of strength, Raven? Giving in to a stronger person! Knowing there is somebody that can carry the same weight. To lose yourself in another! All my life I've been told how to act, how to dress, who to like, and what to wish for! I've never once veered from what I was told, but that is unsustainable! I was raised to fulfill a specific role and it kills me to think that I won't be able to fill that role. To know that I'm going to let my parents, and all of Ever After, down, but I don't care! All of that was built on a flimsy foundation, so flimsy, that the first thing I ever wanted purely for myself, not because someone told me to want it, knocked the entire structure over. That is why I told you not to confess if you didn't mean it, because I knew that if you confessed I would destroy a lot of people's plans. Do you get it now? I would run away and live in a forest with you. I would give away all of my riches, for you. I will do anything for you, Raven. Do you understand? No one will ever love you like I love you." Apple stares intently into Raven's eyes and Raven can see that Apple is telling the truth.

"Oh Gods, Apple. I don't know what I did to deserve you, hex, I thought I understood you completely, but now, I know a little bit more about you, and you are amazing. So brave, so wild, so perfect… I'm all yours Apple, for as long as you'll have me I'm yours!" Raven sits up and throws her arms around her princess. "I was so scared! I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop and I would suddenly be alone again! I can't handle being alone again, not after finding you!"

"You will never be alone again, my darling." Apple peppers Raven's face with kisses. Salty tears and sweet skin. Then she finds her lips and the two are both crying. Crying and kissing.

Time passes swiftly as the two bathe in the realization that they belonged to one another. Eventually, they have to acknowledge the elephant in the room, namely, a very purple Daring Charming, frozen in his angry pose.

"What should we do with him?" Raven nods towards Daring.

"Let's get as far away as we can before you wake him back up!" Apple stands and helps Raven up. The two walk hand in hand out of the enchanted forest, and only when they are nearly to their dorm, does Raven break her spell on Daring.

XXX

The sun is slowly setting by the time Cerise and Kitty are walking towards campus through the Dark Forest. While it is impossible to ignore the incredibly creepy vibe of the Dark Forest, there is a beautiful side to it as well. All the leafs are changing for fall and and it seems to be constantly raining dry bits of color. Here, along these trails, anything seems possible. Perhaps Cerise could live openly, embracing who she is. Perhaps the rebels might be allowed to forge their own paths. Raven destroyed the storybook of legends and nobody disappeared! But, most importantly, perhaps she and Kitty… Cerise feels warmth spread through her cheeks as she reaches over and takes Kitty's hand.

The two fairy tale girls walk hand in hand, listening to the sounds of the forest as they are slowly replaced by the bustle of campus. Just as they are about to step onto campus Kitty pulls Cerise to a stop.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Kitty's eyes roam Cerise's face.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Cerise leans in and kisses Kitty on the lips. Kitty gladly accepts the intimacy.

"That was wonderful, but that's not what I meant." Kitty steps forward, puts her arms around Cerise's neck, and slowly lifts her hood back over her ears.

"Oh Gods! I forgot!" Cerise pulls the front of her hood down a little further. "Wait a minute. I almost gave away my secret and you stopped me. I thought you wanted me to reveal my secret to the school, why would you stop me?"

"I do you think you should show the school. There is no reason for you to hide those beautiful ears, just be who you are." Kitty squeezes Cerise's hand.

"Don't you have any secrets, Kitty? Any part of yourself you hide?"

"No… I mean, my story makes me into a holder of secrets, mainly other peoples, but I really don't have any. I can only be me and many people hate me for me, but that's fine, that just means we aren't meant to be friends. It is strange to me when people try to be "normal", because that means that they're hiding the abnormal, and believe me, the abnormal is what makes the person. We judged Apple White for her love of perfection and her desire to be perfect, but those traits don't define Apple White, her stubborn insistence to be who she is while simultaneously doing what she was born to do, is the trait that defines Apple White. People's secrets are the true measure of who they are, so, if we all wore our secrets with pride, then everyone would know exactly who everyone really is!" Kitty is incredibly animated in explaining this and Cerise can tell she's excited to be talking about it.

"I think that makes sense…"

"Let me give you another example. You're friends with Cedar Wood, right?" Kitty stops and waits for an answer."

"Of course!"

"Well, what if you revealed your ears to Cedar and she was disgusted and hated you? Would she still be your friend?"

"Cedar wouldn't do that!" Cerise is shocked.

"But you don't know that! Perhaps she has some kind of prejudice you didn't know about and she is totally disgusted. Maybe not even your ears! What if you told her about us and she hated you! Would she still be your friend?"

"Well, no… but I don't think Cedar would be like that." Cerise feels a little confused with all of Kitty's logic swirling around her.

"Right! If she heard about us and hated you, then you would retroactively decide that Cedar never really understood you and you were never good friends. But that isn't fair. You have to take some of the blame for the situation." Kitty nods her head after the statement, wholeheartedly agreeing with herself.

"What? Why would it be my fault!" Now Cerise is really confused.

"Because you never gave her a chance to be your friend. The fact that you haven't showed Cedar your ears or told her about us is a sign that you don't trust her. She is not your friend, because you haven't given her the chance. In fact, she may not want to be your friend once you reveal who you are, which would be painful, but the longer you take to show her who you really are, the longer you are pretend friends with her, not even knowing if she really is your friend." Kitty takes a deep breath.

Cerise looks around the forest and everything looks different. She's swept up by Kitty's flurry of words. She's overtaken by Kitty's excitement. Words have always meant very little to Cerise. Words can be used for deceit. People often say one thing, but their action proves that they think something completely different so she gave up on listening to people long ago. It was action that really counted! But Kitty… Her words match who she is! Kitty really is living honestly, exactly who she is at all times. Cerise is often afraid of Kitty when they aren't in the Dark Forest. Afraid Kitty will lean over and kiss her openly on campus. Afraid that she'll just openly tell people about her and Cerise, and now it all makes sense. Kitty is who she is at all times, that is why she scares most of the students, if you don't have any secrets you have nothing to hide, and it seems Kitty has no secrets.

She looks back over at Kitty who is staring up into the trees with a whimsical and happy smile across her face. How is she supposed to respond to this beautiful thought Kitty just shared with her? How can she tell Kitty she agrees with her, but isn't ready to commit to this kind of philosophy? How can she tell Kitty she is afraid? Words tie the tongue. They are deceitful, sounding one way in your head and coming out completely different when you actually try to use them.

Cerise is working herself into a panic, so she takes a couple of deep breaths. Kitty, as if sensing her need, puts her arm around Cerise and nuzzles her neck. After a few deep breaths Cerise finally finds her voice.

"Kitty, you are the smartest person I know."

"Not smart at all. I'm failing most of my classes." Kitty rubs her cheek up and down Cerise's neck.

"Unfortunately, I'm just not as brave as you. I can't reveal my parent's secret, it would put them through hell."

"Yes, the world punishes honesty, or should I say, no good deed goes unpunished." Kitty swings their hands back and forth then slides down on to the ground, pulling Cerise after her. They both lie down and stare up at the canopy of trees above them. Kitty seems pensive and deep in thought.

"Kitty?" Cerise turns to look at the purple-haired girl. " I think I really like you. Like, really, really, like you."

"I really, really, like you as well, puppy." Kitty turns and gives her a smile, but her tension doesn't seem to be relieved.

"So… Um, Kitty. I was wondering if maybe, you and I, could be like, actual… girlfriends?" Cerise is on fire, but she is a woman of action, and this is the action she wants to take.

Kitty lets out a long painful sigh and looks back up at the canopy of trees. She is silent which sends Cerise into a panic.

"Kitty? I'm kinda dying over here." Cerise's voice cracks.

"I'm sorry Puppy, You'll find that I don't do very well with definitions. I find the entire concept to be completely ridiculous. People are changeable, which means trying to define oneself is ridiculous. Here is what I can say. I love you. I have loved you from the moment we met. I know that it is way too early to say that, but you need to trust me. I'm not like other girls, when I say I love you I know that it is true. Maddie has a book about my lineage that I need to show you. It will explain a lot. It seems that it is time I reveal exactly who I am to you, so you can have the chance to show me we really are perfect for each other." Kitty slowly fades out of existence then fades back in standing over Cerise with her hand out. Cerise grabs her hand and pulls herself up, wondering what she is about to learn about Kitty.

XXX

Maddie is sitting at her desk studying when she realizes that the narrator is now focused on her.

"Hello, narrator!" Maddie looks up and waves, her roommate Cloe, who was reading a book, looks over at her with a confused look on her face.

Maddie then stands up, walks outside, and heads towards the boys dormitory.

"I do? Okay sounds good!" Maddie gets up and heads out, Cloe watches her as she goes.

The day is cool and a slight breeze tickles the air around her. Unfortunately, Maddie didn't take her coat, so she finds herself shivering. Once she makes it to the boys dorm she walks around to the side, towards the back balconies.

"Maddie, do you trust me?"

"Of course I do, narrator, you've always helped me before!" Maddie looks up into the sky and smiles.

"I want you to know that I love all of you guys, but I've had to make a decision that will hurt one of you. Do you still trust me?"

"I do. Completely." Maddie's salutes the sky.

"Then walk, very slowly, along the path that goes past Daring Charming's balcony. Starting… now"

"I'm on it!" Maddie starts walking slowly, counting her steps. "One. After one. One. Two."

"Hey Maddie!" Cerise's voice stops Maddie in her tracks. She turns and sees Cerise and Kitty coming out of the Dark Forest and her heart shatters. She's promised herself she'd be strong, but seeing them so openly together hurts much more than she thought it would. She tries to look away but her hand comes up in a wave involuntarily as she notices Cerise looking up above her, panic breaking out on her face.

Maddie also looks up, just in time to see what she can only guess is a giant mirror falling from the sky. A mirror that is right on course for her. A mirror that will obviously kill her when it hits.

"I see." Maddie says quietly as she looks down, closes her eyes, and waits for impact.


	11. Chapter 9

Daring leaves Headmaster Grimm's office with his head a mess of emotions. Headmaster Grimm's face went paler than the moon when Daring told him about Apple and Raven, which was good, because it meant that he would probably spring into some sort of action, which will definitely hurt Apple and Raven, but now part of him feels that he might have made a mistake. Perhaps he should've just left them alone, but it all seems so unfair. So he covers up his regret with hurt feelings as he heads back to his dorm.

Apple and Raven had left him terrified, his heart beating uncontrollably and his breath catching in his throat, but when he woke up they weren't around. Raven had done something to him, he just wasn't sure what. The fear of her magic and the utter destruction of his pride spread through him like a drop of ink in a glass of water, tainting his every thought. He'd stopped at Baba Yaga's on the way to see the headmaster and she had assured him he wasn't under a curse, that Raven had just used her magic to freeze him while the two exited, but he can't be sure. The malice that was coming off of that angry witch!

His thoughts spin terribly. One minute he is close to weeping, the next he is plotting how to hurt the two girls more. All he wants to do is find his bed, fall into it, and never wake up. Unfortunately, Lizzie is waiting for him at his dorm. She is leaning against his door looking at her mirror phone. When she hears him she looks up and her eyes sparkle.

"Where have you been? I heard you went to see Baba Yaga. Is everything okay?" She steps aside to let him open his door then follows him into his room.

"I'm fine. Just had a bit of a run in with Raven and Apple. Raven ended up casting some kind of spell on me and I wanted to make sure it wouldn't have any lasting affects." Daring collapses on his bed. The pillow feels so soft against his cheek.

"Raven did? Why?" Lizzie sits down on the bed next to him and pulls his head onto her lap. She caresses his hair as he looks up at her. Suddenly, he is glad she is here. Her lap is soft and her caresses seem to be pulling something vulnerable out of him.

"I caught her and Apple… kissing."

Lizzie lets out a laugh, which causes Daring to look away.

"Come on, Daring. Apple's gayness for Raven has been obvious since school started. Kind of shocked about Raven, though. She doesn't seem the type."

"It wasn't obvious to me." Daring keeps looking away, pouting.

"I know she hurt you, Daring. I'm sorry. It must be terrible." Lizzie continues to caress Daring's hair. He relaxes slowly under her touch.

"It's okay. I got her back." A sly smile flits across Daring's face. Lizzie's hand stops mid-movement.

"What did you do?"

"I told Headmaster Grimm. He'll put a stop to their little fantasy real fast." Daring turns back to Lizzie. Lizzie lets out a sigh and drops her hand. Daring sits up and pleads his case. "I had to, Lizzie! Apple is throwing her story away for a stupid crush! It was the right thing to do! I'm… I'm the good guy." Daring stares into Lizzie's eyes. "Right?" Lizzie turns towards the window. "Lizzie, tell me I did what was right. Why are you so quiet?"

"If you think you did what was right then that's fine."

"That's not an answer, Lizzie. I need you to tell me what you think! I need you to… tell me what to do Lizzie. I will love you with everything I have Lizzie, if you just tell me what to do!" Daring tries to take Lizzie's hands, but she stands up and walks a few steps away.

"Wow, Daring, you've read this entire situation wrong. I'm not one of your little fan girls that just wants to be with the perfect Prince Charming. I don't even know if I really like you yet. Let me be perfectly clear for you. I'm not Apple, Daring. I can't be her replacement for you. I want to see who you are. I want to know the real you, which means, you have to make your own decisions. Apple taught you to be someone you're not. I want you to be the person you are. But the truth is, you're going to have to do the work on your own. So if you need to get some revenge on Apple and Raven, go for it. I'm always down for a little revenge. Or if you decide to just let them be, that's fine too, but it is ultimately your choice. Who are you, Daring? Now is the time to really find out. I'm intrigued by you, but I don't know you. My curiosity will keep me around for a while, but ultimately, I just want to meet the real you. Good luck." And with that she is gone. Out the door before he can respond.

Daring grabs his pillow, puts it over his face, and screams as loud as he can. Tears threaten, but do not come. He is an open wound. Intense and hollow. He turns to his full length mirror and scoffs.

"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall. Who is the fairest of them all." He laughs at his pitiful reflection, then jumps when the mirror replies.

"Apple White is the fairest of them all." The emotionless voice echoes through the room and everything bubbles up inside daring, threatening to spill out.

"I know that! Don't you think I know that! It was supposed to be her and I! We were the fairest! She taught me to smash down all personal desire and live a lie, but the minute she wants something she gives it all up. Where does that leave me? Someone tell me what to do!" All the emotion within him needs release. He wants to destroy something. To tear it apart. So, he turns to the mirror, rips it off the wall, drags it to the balcony and throws it over.

"Now who is the fairest of them all?"

XXX

Cloe checks the problem threads one more time after her roommate leaves in such a strange manner. The knot tying up Cupid, Raven, Apple, Dexter, Daring, and Blondie is still a mess. The smaller knot, tying up Maddie, Kitty and Cerise seems like it is about to get a lot worse. Cloe lets out a sigh. This is Cupid's job. Cloe has no idea how to fix problems of the heart, but Cupid is tied up in it as well, so she is unable to do her job. Such a mess.

So she decides to take a walk. She ends up on a big grassy hill west of the school. The scenery is beautiful so she lays down in the grass and stares up into the sky. A light breeze tickles the grass and the sound of the far off trees create a white noise that blocks out everything else. Cloe can feel herself start to relax and, just as it happens every time, An image of a girl driven mad with awful knowledge flashes through her mind. 'Aja. Beautiful Aja. It has been a year since I wronged you and tore your life apart. We Gods are untrustworthy. We must keep our distance.' She has quietly whispered these words to herself a million times since the event as a reminder that she must keep her distance. She sighs and thanks Mother Earth again for this opportunity to be so far away from the scene of her crime.

XXX

Blondie is fed up with Dexter constantly being in her and Cupid's room, so she takes a walk. The air is chilly outside, but not enough to require a coat. Anyway, being slightly cold helps her forget about feeling… not just right. Ever since Dexter and Cupid became a couple Cupid hasn't really needed her anymore. Before, Cupid needed her for constant comfort, and sometimes things would almost get… romantic. Now, she is a third wheel and she can feel it. Perhaps it is time to transfer rooms. She walks down the slope to her favorite hill, only to find that it is already in use. Cloe is laying on the grass and staring up at the sky.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Of course not!" Cloe looks up at Blondie and gives her a smile.

"Thanks." Blondie lays down on the grass and stares up at the sky. Suddenly she is overtaken with nervousness. Why did she come over here and lay down next to someone she doesn't even know. This is a strangely intimate position to be in with an acquaintance, especially when her mood is not just right. She begins searching her mind wildly, looking for something to say. Luckily, Cloe saves her.

"You wanna hear something really weird?"

"Sure." Blondie turns on her side, facing Cloe.

"If I wanted to, I could see when all of you are going to die. Everyone I know. In fact, once I take on my mother's job I'll have to." Cloe throws this bit of information out like a lead weight that falls heavily between them. Blondie is shocked by this overly familiar and morbid conversation starter. But the reporter in her perks up.

"Have you ever checked anyone you know?"

"Only once, a few years back. She died last year. Unfortunately, I told her about it. I told her when she was going to die."

"Gods! What did she do." Blondie's hand instinctively covers her mouth.

"She had a terrible break down. It was awful, and it was all my fault. Gods make terrible mistakes when we are young. It seems every myth is about one of us wanting something and some poor person getting hurt in the process. Unfortunately, this makes us very unpopular amongst our peers." Cloe's eyes never leave the sky. Blondie mulls over her words quietly. For some odd reason, all of her nervousness is gone and she realizes that it is all Cloe's doing. This topic, which Blondie at first thought so morbid, is actually incredibly interesting. It acknowledges the fact that the two girls laying on the grass are very different. It also shows Blondie just how different Cloe is, and finally, it demonstrates how similar they both are. This direct, heartfelt bit of information instantly endears Blondie to the dark-haired witch. She turns on her side and stares at her. Cloe looks over at her and continues. "But that isn't something I'll have to deal with for quite a while. I deal with small things. Reading strands of fate for fortune telling and the like. This brings me close to people before they even know me, which can be a bit disconcerting for people whom I have just met.

"I bet!" Blondie tries to imagine what it would be like, but all she can think about is Cupid, and how she is instantly everyones friend, whether they like it or not, when they are having love troubles.

"For instance, You seem to be having some serious love trouble. Usually, at this point, my job is very clear. I would send you to Cupid, but seeing as how tangled you and Cupid's threads are, I doubt she could do you any good right now. In fact, she seems to be the reason for your trouble. How long have you liked her?" Cloe turns on her side and meets Blondie's gaze with her dark eyes.

Blondie is shocked to hear her secret spoken so openly by someone she barely knows. She has never spoken a word of her love for Cupid to anyone. Not one single soul, and suddenly she is flooded with validation, with sadness, and with relief. Unfortunately, all of these emotions require instant relief, so Blondie opens up her mouth, not sure what she is going to say, and is quite surprised to find that she is letting out a scream. A scream that breaks into sobs, and not quiet dignified sobs, all out messy crying.

But, as shocked as Blondie is, it doesn't even come close to how shocked Cloe is!

"Oh Gods, Blondie, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Ohhh, what have I done!" Cloe is looking all over for someone to help her, but nobody else is around. She turns back around just in time to see a very blond streak coming right for her. Blondie catches her around the waist and the two fall backwards. Cloe keeps both her hands up, unsure where to put them, and Blondie squeezes her until she can barely breath.

Nobody has ever treated Cloe this way. The respect people in her world have for her makes this kind of connection impossible. She was born to a life of isolation and this is the closest she's ever been with someone outside of her family. The smell of Blondie's hair, the crinkle of the ephemeral material of her dress. The heaving waves of her breath. All of this is new to Cloe and she is entranced.

Ever so slowly, Cloe puts her arms around Blondie. She rubs the scratchy material of her dress, relishing the feel of a very real girl beneath it. She nuzzles her head into blondie and let's the girl cry, unsure of what to say. Cloe is made to deliver information, not comfort people. She is so overwhelmed that even if she knew what to say, she wouldn't have been able to. Her mind is completely blacked out by the immense amount of sensory input.

Slowly, Blondie's sobs slow and she rolls off of Cloe on to the grass. Cloe is sad, for her it ended too soon. The light breeze is shockingly cold on the parts of her skin that, just a few moments ago, were covered with a crying Blondie. Her breathing is heavy, so she tries to reign it in.

Blondie lets out another aggravated growl and then tries to control her breathing.

"Wow! I feel so much better! Thank you so much. You don't know how much it means to me to have another person acknowledge my feelings! You are the best friend I never had!" With this Blondie lets out a giggle and turns to Cloe. Once she sees the other girls face, the laugh dies in her throat.

Cloe's eyes are wide with shock and her breathing is labored.

"Oh no! Cloe, are you okay, I'm so sorry!" Blondie sits up and puts her hand on Cloe's shoulder. Cloe gets up on shaky legs.

"I'm glad you feel better, Blondie. I… um… I have to go." Cloe stands awkwardly for a moment.

"Sure Cloe… Charm you later?"

"Yes. Of course." And Cloe runs towards the school, the smell of Blondie all around her, on her clothes, in her hair, on her skin, and she hopes and prays that it will never wear off!

XXX

Cerise is following Kitty out of the dark forest, her head full of daydreams about what Kitty is going to show her, when she spots Maddie walking past the boys dorms.

"Oh look, it's Maddie. Hey Maddie!" Cerise waves at Maddie who stops to look around. Just then, from up above, Cerise catches a flash. A giant mirror is falling from the sky. That seems strange, but even stranger, the mirror is heading right for Maddie!

"Kitty! Maddie!" Cerise points at the mirror in the sky as she breaks into a run. Time, as it often does in these situations, seems to slow down. Cerise realizes a few things right away. First, she will not make it in time. Second, Maddie is just standing there with her eyes closed. Is she so scared she's frozen? Third, She is about to watch as her friend is crushed and broken by a mirror. For some odd reason the image of what is about to occur keeps playing in her head. The mirror hitting Maddie's head and busting it open. Her neck breaking on impact. Cerise can't watch this happen, so she decides to close her eyes, but her eyes won't listen, they stay wide open.

The stay wide open as arms suddenly appear around Madeline. They stay wide open as Kitty appears. They stay wide open as both girls start to fade. They stay wide open as the mirror hits Maddie in the slightly faded shoulder and the resounding crack is almost deafening.

The mirror hits the ground in a shower of glass and wood and Cerise can't look away from it, even though she hears crying to her right. The mirror smashing, the glass raining down, the pulverized remains are all, somehow, beautiful. She looks up slowly, wondering, only to be confronted with an incredibly shocked Daring Charming. A low growl rumbles in her throat as the two lock eyes. Then she turns to see to her friend.

XXX

"I see." Maddie says quietly as she looks down, closes her eyes, and waits for impact.

But before the impact comes her nose is filled with a familiar scent, a scent that instantly floods her entire body with love. She feels a familiar weight on her back, and even through her impending doom, all she wants to do is snuggle into the girl appearing behind her. But she can't, because Kitty doesn't even completely appear before Maddie feels a wind on her face that makes her think of home. Something hard hits her shoulder and she hears a pop. She grits her teeth but doesn't open her eyes. The scent of Wonderland is all around her and she just wants to drown in it. To be home. To be home, with Kitty.

As quickly as it came, the wonderlandiful wind disappears, and Maddie is in Kitty's lap, her arm hanging uselessly at her side. Maddie opens her eyes to Kitty staring at her with tears streaming down her face.

"Kitty? What happened?"

"I'm not quite sure Maddie. You almost got hit by a mirror, but I've got you now. I've got you know." Kitty hugs Maddie close and rocks her.

"The narrator told me to walk. Told me she was going to have to hurt one of us. I had to stand under Daring's balcony… Wait, that mirror almost hit me. How did it… Did you… Kitty! Did you transport me out of the way?" Maddie is fully awake, her shock falling off like a blanket thrown carelessly over her.

Kitty looks up at the sky, searching for some visual sign of the narrator but there is nothing. She looks back down at Maddie and nods as more tears roll down her cheeks.

"Kitty, you love me? You actually love me?" Maddie can't stop her own tears.

"I do, Maddie. I love you so much. I knew it the minute I looked at that Cloe girl's magic. The things it showed me about myself. The things I'm afraid to show."

"I wanted to die Kitty. Without you, I wanted to die."

"I know Maddie, I know. I'm sorry. I'll never leave you again. Just… be still. We have to get you taken care of." Kitty looks around and spots Cerise staring up at something. She follows the girl's gaze up to Daring. Daring is slowly bringing his shaking hands up to his face, obviously terrified of what he has done. There will be time for Daring later.

She turns back to her beautiful feral girl who is staring up at Daring Charming and growling. Her fists are clenched and her eyes are burning a bright yellow as her red cloak billows out behind her. Kitty stares at Cerise, her puppy, her love, and realizes that fate has played an awful trick on her.

She turns again, back to her mad lover, broken and crying in her arms, and the image of both Maddie and Cerise merge with her heart and she knows she'll never be able to get either of them out. Maddie reaches up with her good arm and caresses Kitty's face and Kitty can't stop the flood of tears. Then, Maddie hooks her arm around Kitty's neck, just as kitty is wondering to herself, 'who will hurt more, me, or them?' and she allows herself to be pulled into Maddie's kiss. Comfort spreads through her as she melts into her lover's familiar lips.

XXX

Cerise is hoping she can kill Daring with her eyes. His eyes shift back and forth between her and the events playing out to her right, but Cerise doesn't look away. 'You. will. pay. for. this.' Cerise thinks up at him. This idiot boy. this man child she calls friend. He will pay.

But enough of him, Cerise turns to her right. Maddie is in Kitty's arms, the two of them staring into each other's eyes. Maddie's poor arm is hanging limply at her side and Cerise's heart breaks for her poor friend. How close she was to death. A part of her, deep inside, is angry that she wasn't able to do anything. She's terrified of the fact that had it not been for Kitty, Maddie would be… Cerise stops her thoughts there. That is not a road worth traveling down.

Cerise starts to head over just as Maddie lifts her hand and caresses Kitty's cheek. Something in this caress stops Cerise in her tracks. She has never seen a touch so gentle.

Then the mad girl, her friend, hooks her arm around Kitty's neck and pulls her in for a kiss. Not a fumbling kiss, a deep kiss, full of passion and… is that… familiarity? It is.

Cerise watches dumbfounded as her friend kisses her girlfriend and realizes, they've kissed before. Probably many times.

Cerise staggers forward a few steps, then falls to her knees. They are both incredible kissers, probably much better than her. Cerise wonders, through a fog slowly invading her brain, if Maddie and Kitty were each other's first? Did they kiss awkwardly at first, like she and Kitty did? Was Maddie the first to hold Kitty's hand? Was Maddie the first to take her blushing checks into her hands and kiss her on the lips? Did Maddie get all the firsts Cerise had wanted so badly with Kitty? How could everything go wrong so quickly?

Cerise falls forward and lets out a scream. She pounds the ground with her fist. She scratches at the dirt, but nothing can relieve her of the pain she is feeling. She looks up, expecting the two girls to still be kissing, but they are both staring at her, their eyes filled with sadness. She has no time for their sadness. Kitty reaches out for her. Beckons her forward, so Cerise gets to her feet. She tries to take a step forward. Tries to embrace the two of them, her lover and her friend, but she can't move forward. In fact, her legs are moving backwards. Slowly. Step after step, and finally she builds up the willpower to turn her back on the source of her pain.

Everything has fallen apart. Everything is over. So, she does what she always does. She runs. She runs blindly forward and soon the comforting canopy of the dark forest is above her, so she howls. She was a fool! A complete idiot to trust that she could find happiness at the school! Happiness is with the pack. Happiness is being alone. People are thorny, you can't trust them.

A few seconds later she hears her pack's howls and she follows them. 'I love you, Kitty. I still love you. I love you and you are eating me alive! You are taking me apart bit by bit! How can I survive this, Kitty? How can I survive you?' Cerise bends lower to the ground and lets the animal take over, lets instinct eclipse reason, until she isn't thinking anything at all.


	12. Chapter 10

**Well, here we are, smack dab in the middle of the dark moment in my story. Things are getting pretty crazy and I hope you guys are having as much fun as I am. The chapters are coming a little faster than I anticipated, but they should slow down to their once a week pace soon. The only reason this one got finished so quickly is because I am sick, so I worked on it all day! I hope you like it!**

 **Please, leave a review after you read the chapter. I love to hear from you guys and the reviews really make writing worth it!**

 **Chapter 10: A Startled Cat, A Shamed Prince, and some Guilty Goddesses**

Blondie walks slowly back to her dorm, enjoying the view of the sun as it sets through the large windows in the corridor. The trees are an explosion of color in the fading orange light and the setting is just right for her heart break. A heart break that is shockingly already on the mend. 'How fickle, the human heart,' Blondie thinks as she opens the door to her room. Cupid is sitting at her desk and -luckily- there is no sign of Dexter Charming. Blondie can't help but hate poor Dexter, he did win, after all.

"Hey Blondie."

"Hey Cupid, how's it going?"

"Good, just finishing up my thronework for Professor Rumpelstiltskin, but I'm having a hard time keeping my mind on it. It's so boring!" Cupid leans back in her chair and throws her pencil down.

"Yeah, it was rough. I got it done this morning. Hey, can I tell you something?" Blondie flops down on her bed.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, I think I might have offended Cloe." Blondie turns on her side so she can see Cupid.

"Uh-oh, what happened?" Cupid turns around in her chair and stares mirthfully at Blondie.

"I don't know. It was really strange. I was feeling…not just right, so I went to my favorite place and Cloe was there. We got to talking and she… well, it was strange… she kinda already knew me, if that makes sense? In fact, she knew things about me that nobody knows. Which really caught me off guard!" Blondie chews her bottom lip distractedly, thinking back to her conversation with the fate witch.

"Yeah, Cloe'll do that. Seeing the threads of fate is a gift and a curse. So what did you do?" Cupid rests her arm on the back of her chair and her chin on her arm.

"I kind of unloaded on her! I was so shocked to have someone discuss the innermost secrets of my heart like they were obvious that I just… exploded. I started crying… then I tackled her and hugged her. Afterwards she seemed really distant and strange. Did I do something I shouldn't have? It turned out to be quite the fairy fail!" Blondie rolls on her back and lets out a sigh.

Cupid, caught off guard, starts laughing… and laughing… and laughing, until she ends up on the floor rolling side to side. Blondie rolls on her stomach, scoots to the edge of the bed, and peeks over, her cheeks crimson.

"What? Was it really bad? Why are you laughing?" Blondie grabs the blanket and covers her face, only her eyes peek through a small hole.

Cupid can't answer right away, her laughter seemingly endless, but eventually she calms down enough to speak. "You… hugged Cloe… The next fate witch! Nobody does that! She is one of the most respected people in my world! You don't just hug her! That's probably the first time anyone outside of her family has done that. Oh my gods, she was probably so uncomfortable!" Cupid's giggles return, unhindered.

Blondie sinks further into her blanket, her entire face bright red. "I didn't know that. She probably hates me, I feel terrible!"

Cupid crawls onto Blondie's bed and hugs her. "Don't worry about it, Blondie. She doesn't hate you. She's going to have to get used to this world, just like I did! It will be a little harder for her because she was raised quite sheltered, but she will come to love all of you, just like I do!

Blondie melts into Cupid's hug, forgetting for the moment that she has lost. "How can I face her again? What can I say?"

Cupid lets out another giggle. "Don't change a thing! You be your adorable, confident self. She'll come around, it'll just take some getting used to!" Cupid gives Blondie a light poke on the nose and a smile.

"You think I'm adorable?" Blondie feels a familiar tug at her heart.

"Of course I do! You are lovely! You are the best friend a goddess could wish for!" Cupid gives her another smile and then walks back to her chair. Blondie feels the string tugging at her heart snap and gravity drops it back down.

"Thank you. I hope you know, Cupid, that you are my best friend ever after. I will always love you." Blondie keeps direct eye contact with Cupid's back. Cupid's beautiful feathered wings stretch a little as she sits down and Blondie has an uncontrollable urge to get up and bury her face in the soft feathers.

"I love you too, Blondie. Best friends for ever after!" Cupid turns and returns Blondie's stare, her face lit up with a smile that melts Blondie's heart. Blondie does her best to return the smile, then turns onto her side, facing away from Cupid. 'It's hard to play the game of love, with the daughter of the goddess of love.' Blondie thinks to herself as she tries not to cry.

A few seconds later there is a rapid and loud knocking on the door. Cupid and Blondie both jump and turn to stare at each other. Who would be visiting this late at night. Cupid points to Blondie and then the door, but Blondie shakes her head, refusing to go. Cupid rolls her eyes and then smiles as she gets up and answers the door. A very pale and shaken fate witch greets her.

"Cloe, what the hex happened? Are you okay? This doesn't have anything to do with you and Blondie does it?" Cupid's face is a mask of fear. Blondie lets out a squeak and disappears completely under her blanket. Cloe turns bright red.

"No! Something terrible has happened to Maddie! Apparently Daring Charming threw something and it hit her in the arm… or something. I don't know, anyway, she's in the infirmary!" Cloe turns and starts heading down the corridor, Cupid right behind her. Blondie jumps up, grabs her bag, and heads out after them.

XXX

Raven is sitting on her bed trying to collect her thoughts while Apple White paces back and forth, chewing on her thumbnail and talking to herself, when her mirror phone vibrates on the desk. She crawls over, picks it up, and reads the hext she just received from Blondie.

"Oh no!"

"What happened?" Apple stops pacing and looks over at Raven.

"Something has happened to Maddie. she's in the infirmary. We've got to go!" Raven holds her hand out to Apple and Apple takes it. The two fairy tale girls disappear in a plume of purple smoke and reappear in the infirmary, much to Kitty's surprise, as evidenced by her incredible jump and loud hiss. Maddie is asleep in one of the beds, her arm in a sling. Headmaster Grimm, Daring Charming, Lizzie Hearts, the new witch girl, Blondie Locks, and Cupid are all standing around her. Kitty vanishes and reappears on top of a cabinet at the back of the room. Baba Yaga is floating at the foot of the bed.

Raven pushes her way to the front of the bed and kneels down beside the sleeping girl. "What the hex happened?" She asks to no one in particular. Everyone is staring at her except Daring, who is looking down at the floor, shame written all over his face. Raven zeroes in one him, sensing his guilt from a mile off. "What did you do, Daring?" Raven asks, malice in her voice. Daring doesn't look up.

"Madeline Hatter was hit in the shoulder with a mirror that was thrown from the balcony of Daring Charming's room, by Daring Charming." Headmaster Grimm reports nonchalantly. "Her arm was dislocated, but it has been reset by Baba Yaga. It was lucky Kitty was there, she flashed in and transported Maddie to safety."

Raven is flooded with shock, anger, and amazement. These emotions hit so hard her brain can't figure out how to sort them. She wants to unload on Daring, but, instead she turns to Kitty in shock. Maddie has explained to her how the Cheshire's work. Kitty tries to crawl back into the shadows, but she is already up against the wall, so she just disappears. Raven looks around, wondering where Kitty is going to reappear and notices Cerise is not in the room. This is bad.

Raven is just turning on Daring, her mouth open and ready to ream him within an inch of his life, when a voice from behind freezes her before she even begins.

"Daring Charming!" All eyes follow the voice and end up on an incredibly angry Apple White. Her tiny hands are clenched at her sides and her face is filled with disappointment and rage. In fact, Raven has never seen her look like this. everyone in the room backs up a little and tries to get smaller, except for Lizzie Hearts, who stands her ground, seemingly unaffected. Apple, so full of kindness and love, her smile a spell in itself, has channeled her inner angry queen, and many in the room wonder if Raven has been giving her evil lessons. Nobody looks Apple in the eye, afraid that if they do, she might turn her ire on them.

Apple continues. "What is wrong with you? Why are you being like this? You think you're the only one in pain? You think your little crisis gives you the right to act so carelessly? Ever since you failed to wake me I have blamed myself, because I'm not the person I thought I was. I thought that maybe I have done something wrong, but now I realize that the reason you couldn't wake me is because you don't deserve to be my Prince Charming. You are a total failure. I am so shocked to see how bad a person you are turning out to be. How awful. You could have killed her!" Apple's seething rage envelopes everyone in the room. Nobody dares to look up. Raven realizes that this is almost a spell, similar to Apple's smiles. She can feel magic radiating off of her girlfriend. She reminds herself never to piss off Apple. "What do you have to say for yourself, Daring?" Apple folds her arms and waits for a response. Raven secretly hopes that Daring keeps his mouth shut, knowing full well that Apple's question was rhetorical, but he does not comply.

"I…" Is all Daring gets out. What can he say. Everyone in the room peeks at him, hoping Apple won't notice them looking. Raven actually starts to feel a little bad for Daring. She hates him, it's true, and will never forgive him if he's done anything to harm her and Apple's relationship, but she feels a little sorry for him. Not only is Apple is terrifying, she knows just what to say to cut someone to the quick.

"Daring, just go. We are a little hot-tempered, so now is probably not the best time to discuss this." Raven pushes the poor boy out of the room, Apple's eyes boring into him the entire way, and shuts the door behind him. Once he is gone Apple lets out a sigh and the room seems to lighten. Everyone around the bed lets out a sigh of relief. Everyone, except Lizzie Hearts.

"Perhaps, Apple, it might be wise to turn those hyper-sensitive eyes of yours back around on yourself. Here is a little advice, from one future queen to another. You have a tendency towards blind spots for things that don't interest you. Perhaps this never would've happened if someone had visited one of her most loyal subjects while he was dealing with the most crushing disappointment in his life." Lizzie's voice is calm and strong. It almost seems to echo around the room.

"Thank you for the advice Lizzie." Raven can feel the tension seething from Apple, so she stands up and starts checking on Maddie, hoping to break the tension in the room. It seems to work.

After a few moments Headmaster Grimm clears his throat. "I know this has been a shock to you all, but Madeline really needs her rest. Why don't you all return to your rooms and let Baba Yaga see to her. Madeline will be fine. I'm sure she will be up and around tomorrow.

The girls all take one last look at poor Maddie and slowly shuffle out of the room. Apple and Raven are the last to leave. Headmaster Grimm watches as they go, wanting to call out to them. To make them stay for a lecture on destiny, but Snow White's instructions had been very clear. He is not to give the girls any sign that they know until she arrives in the morning. So he lets them go. His head aches as he wonders if he might be getting to old for this job.

XXX

Cloe notices Cupid hanging back from the rest of the girls as they are returning to the dorms, so she slows down and waits for her to catch up. This must have been devastating for her poor friend. Cloe knows what it feels like to hold in guilt.

"Hey Cupi, everything okay?"

"Give it to me straight, Cloe. I messed up everything, didn't I? This is all my fault." Cupid looks down at her feet, unable to bring herself to look up at Cloe.

"That is all true, Cupi, and, unfortunately, it is only going to get worse. The knot you have created is going to have much farther reaching consequences than you can imagine. People are going to get hurt, Cupi, can you accept that? Can you be okay with that?"

"No, I guess it's gone to far." Cupid sighs. "Was it this hard when you made your mistake, Cloe?" Cupid looks into her eyes imploringly.

"I never thought I would survive the pain, I thought I was going to die, but that wasn't even the worst part. I received a letter a few months ago, from Aja's parents and they forgave me. They forgave me, and I'm sure they only did it because I'm a Goddess. They are afraid of me because I hold the threads of their life in my hands, so they forgave me for completely ruining the last year of their daughter's life. That is when it hurt the worst." Now it is Cloe's turn to look down at the ground, her eyes wet with tears.

"So if I were to tell everyone what I did, would it undo the knot?" Cupid looks over at Cloe, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Partially, it'll be a hex of a lot better than it is right now." Cloe gives Cupid the best smile of encouragement she can muster. The two walk in silence, watching everyone in front of them.

"We are of the gods, shouldn't we be happier than those that worship us?" Cupid asks, her eyes on Raven and Apple. She can see the love between them even as she feels it's gravitational pull.

Cloe is startled by Cupid's question. Her eyes fall on Blondie, walking up ahead, her dress swishing back and forth, a sash encircling her thin waist, and her long wavy hair cascading down to her back. "I hope so, Cupid. I hope so."

Cupid's eyes open wide in shock as she suddenly feels a slight gravitational pull between her friend and Blondie. She bring up her hand and giggles into her palm. Cloe looks over at her, a streak of crimson painting her cheeks and nose.

Once she makes it to her dorm Cloe immediately shoots a shower of magic beneath her cauldron and checks the threads. She looks at the knot and lets out her breath, it seems like Cupid has made the right decision. The knot is already starting to untangle. Certain threads are falling loose, while others, still knotted up, are not as taught as they'd been before. At the center of the knot, Raven and Apple's threads seem to be the most problematic.

Cloe sits quietly for a moment, breaths in and out slowly, then looks over at her own thread. It is still well outside of the knot, as it should be, but it is a little closer than it was before, and now, instead of just cupid's thread crossing over hers, Blondie's does as well. Cloe drops her head into her palm and berates herself for getting involved. Her mother is going to be pissed.

XXX

Raven and Apple don't speak as they make their way back to the dorm. Raven is busy hexting and Apple is ruminating over Lizzie's words. Raven sends Cerise a quick hext: 'Just wanted to let you know, Maddie is fine. Her arm is dislocated, but Baba Yaga fixed it easily.' A few seconds later Cerise responds. 'Thanks Raven, I've been waiting for your hext. I appreciate it.' Raven shoots back a quick response. "Of course. Hey, I know you've had a hard night. Can we talk?' Raven does not expect a reply and she doesn't receive one. Cerise will need to be dragged, kicking and screaming, through this, but right now Raven's got other things to worry about.

Once in their dorm, the girls change into their pajamas and Raven turns on her mirrorphone just in time to catch Blondie's segment on Maddie's accident. Apple cuddles up next to her and they both watch until the end. Once it is over Raven shuts off her phone and falls back onto her bed. Apple, who was leaning on her, falls with her.

Raven looks down at the top of her girlfriend's blonde head and sighs. Apple curls up in the crook of her arm like a kitten.

"What are we going to do, Apple?" Raven sighs again.

"Be in love, spend our lives together, find our happily ever afters." Apple reaches up under Raven's shirt and caresses her belly and waist. Raven looks down a little shocked and her breath escapes in a small squeak, which makes Apple giggle. Raven has never been touched so intimately before and the experience sends shocks down her entire body.

"Apple, I'm serious," Raven whines, "We don't even know if Daring told Headmaster Grimm. What are we going to do?" Raven curls around Apple, her body disagreeing with her mind.

Apple lets out a sigh. "Well, if he told, my Mother will definitely be here tomorrow. She'll really flip out." Apple spins a circle with her finger over Raven's belly button.

"What will she do?" Raven tries to hold back a giggle as Apple tickles her.

"Who knows. It doesn't matter."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" Raven sits up and grabs Apple's hand.

Apple brings up her other hand and caresses Raven's cheek, her eyes half-lidded and burning. "I have done everything my Mother has ever asked of me, and perfectly, I think it is my right to choose one thing that is mine. My special decision. My first decision not made by someone else. I choose you, Raven Queen. I want you, and she will not make me give you up, although she will try." Apple lays her head back down on Raven's pillow, her blonde hair fanning all around her.

Raven keeps Apple's wrist, leans in and starts kissing her neck. Apple sucks in her breath as Raven moves up to her ear and whispers. "I'm afraid, Apple. This isn't a small family problem, this is an entire kingdom we're talking about. We aren't just fighting your mom, we are fighting generations of tradition. Princesses should not fall in love with their villains. How are we going to win this?"

"Well, Princesses wouldn't fall in love with their villains if their villains weren't so damn cute! Stop worrying Raven, true love always finds a way! If you truly love me, and I can tell that you do, then we will find a way. I mean, it's not like I'm going to get poisoned or anything, you've refused to do that to me no matter how many times I begged. The only thing that can stop us is a change of feelings. Otherwise, We'll just have to convince everybody." Apple slides her hand up Raven's back and pulls her into a kiss. A kiss with promise.

But Raven does not share Apple's optimism. Looking back at the way Apple handles situations, Raven can tell that she is not much of a planner. When a stressful situation comes along Apple just… deals with it. She comes at life with the incredible stubbornness of her Taurus sign. When Apple decides something is going to be a certain way, she digs in her heels and demands that it be done that way. Raven herself knows how hard it is to sway Apple to change her view of the world, which is perhaps why the world likes her so much. That naivety is pretty damn cute, but even more than that, Apple's world is a place of goodness, where the right thing happens all the time. Apple's world is a fairy tale. Apple is a fairy tale. She embodies, more than anyone else, the essence of the land of Ever After. How wonderful would it be to live in Apple's world, where everyone always does the right thing. How invigorating, what a change of pace. Sharing a kiss with the most important princess in all of the land, Raven suddenly has an idea.

She pulls her lips away and Apple lets out a whine. "Apple, I have an idea. A kind of backup plan. I need you to get dressed in your most queenly outfit."

Apple wraps her arms and legs around Raven's body and tries to keep her form getting up. "Not just yet, Raven, come back."

Raven slowly disentangles herself from Apple. "I'll hate myself if I don't get this done. I have an idea, but it is only a back up plan, please, humor me?"

Apple lets out a groan and sits up in bed. "Fine! But once we are done, we are coming right back here. You're not getting any sleep tonight!"

Raven giggles. "Hey, don't threaten me with a good time!"

Apple gets up and heads to her wardrobe. "My most queenly attire eh? Are you sure this isn't a trick to get me dressed up for some role-play?" Apple gives Raven a wink.

"Actually, in a weird way, it is. The biggest role-play of all. One more thing. We're going to need Blondie, can you have her meet us here in about thirty minutes?" Raven is also picking out her best dress.

Apple raises an eyebrow. "Kinky. I'll hext her now."

XXX

Daring runs blindly into the Dark Forest, his thoughts swirling around his head.

"The people in that room witnessed a murder." Daring whispers to himself. "Apple took up her blade and stabbed me to death. I'm a bad guy? She hasn't seen bad. Wait until I take her happiness apart piece by piece. She hates me so much?" Daring's voice catches in his throat as tears threaten. "If she wants me to be the bad guy then I'll be the bad guy. She hasn't seen anything yet." Daring lets his hatred overtake him. He begins to think terrible thoughts. Thoughts that poison his mind. An idea slowly hatches, an idea so wicked it makes Daring laugh, and his laugh is a cackle that would make Baba Yaga proud. But Baba Yaga isn't around, only Faybelle is.

Faybelle hears Daring laughing and flies over to him.

"Daring? What are you doing out here and why are you practicing villainous laughter?

Daring's hand drops to the hilt of his sword, which he always carries now, but when he sees it is only Faybelle, he lets go.

"Faybelle! talk about perfect timing! You are just the person I wanted to see!" A smile of anticipation spreads across Daring's face.

"Now you are practicing evil smiling? What is going on with you?" Faybelle lands next to Daring hoping to figure out why he is flipping the script.


	13. Chapter 11

**Love, a Confession, and a Rite of Passage**

Raven and Apple have only been asleep for a few hours when the first rays of sun break over the Enchanted Forest and color the room a cold fall orange. They're both in Apple's bed cuddled together under her quilt. Apple stirs with first light and rubs her naked legs on Raven's, loving the feel of her skin. She opens her eyes and stares down at Raven's naked torso, then absentmindedly writes her name on Raven's side with the tip of her finger. Apple always writes her name on things that are hers.

Their clothes are strewn about the room and colored with dawn. Apple peeks over Raven at their best dresses, crumpled and entangled on the floor, and sighs contentedly. She lays back down and stares up at the ceiling. her eyes grow wet and before she knows it, tears are streaming down her face and into her hair. For the first time in her life, Apple feels like an adult, and she loves it. Unfortunately, that makes what is coming next that much harder.

But oh, last night, last night, last night. What they did makes her feel like she can fight anything. She made the right choice when she chose Raven and now, nothing else really matters. Her mom may try to take Raven away, but Apple is stronger. She will fight, and she will win. But last night, Raven's lips and hands, last night showed her the wonderful truth. Raven is Apple's one true love.

Apple continues to cry quietly for a few minutes then gets up. She gives her lover a kiss as she crawls over her and earns a sleepy groan. This makes Apple smile as she begins her morning ritual. After cleaning up the room, she gets in the shower and reluctantly washes all of the nights pleasures off her skin. Once she is done she puts her robe on, and heads to her vanity. She slaps her cheeks lightly a few times and stares at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks are rosy. Apple can't believe that she is the woman staring back at her. She picks up her brush and starts running it through her long hair.

"One. Two. Three." She counts every stroke of the brush, her posture perfect on her stool. This process is repeated until she reaches one hundred. A proper princess brushes her hair one hundred strokes a day.

"I am the person you made me, mother. But now, I'm making myself." How does she know her mother is coming? She can feel it. She could feel it last night. It was the way Daring and Headmaster Grimm were acting. Neither of them would look at her. Everything is going to go down today. Apple is not scared, she is just sad that people are going to be hurt. But she has Raven. Sweet, beautiful, Raven. Anything is possible with Raven by her side.

The next step is to rewet her hair and put it up in curlers. Once this is done, she sits on the edge of her bed and shakes Raven lightly.

"Good morning, beautiful. We need to get up and get ourselves to school." Apple caresses Raven's cheek. Raven groans and tries to hide under the covers. Apple pulls the covers off, forgetting Raven's state of undress, and quickly covers her back up, blushing all the while. "Come on sweetie, we don't want to be late." Apple leans in and gives her girlfriend a kiss.

"Ew, Apple, no. I've got morning breath!" Raven sits up and rubs her eyes.

"I like your morning breath! Can I pick your clothes today?" Apple brings her hands together in pleading.

"Sure, I'm honestly too tired to care."

"Yay!" Apple jumps up and heads to her own wardrobe. A few seconds later clothes are flying out. Finally she finds what she is looking for, a light gray dress with a victorian pattern in black stitched into the cloth. She runs over to Raven's dresser, pulls out the necessary underclothes, and takes all of it to the bathroom. She grabs Raven's robe and brings it out to her. Raven reluctantly takes it, puts it on, and heads into the shower.

Apple finishes her hair while Raven showers, preparing herself mentally and physically for what is coming. Once Raven gets out of the shower she seems more awake. She stops in front of Apple's full length mirror and Checks out the dress Apple picked for her.

"I'll be honest, Apple, this is darker colors than the other things you've had me wear, and this just suits me better. This dress is wicked."

"It's true! I promise you I'm not trying to push you back into our story, I just really like how you look in dark colors!" Apple nods at her girlfriend appreciatively. Raven gives her a smile and sits down at Apple's vanity, something she has never done before, and rubs Apple's brush through her hair a few times.

"Let me do it." Apple picks up the brush and starts brushing Raven's hair. She quietly counts each stroke. After a few minutes she starts humming to herself. Raven's hair really is beautiful. It glides through her brush like silk and falls from her hands like water. Apple looks up and notices Raven is looking at her in the mirror, a smile on her lips and a streak of red across her cheeks and nose.

"Apple… I'm… so in love with you." Raven bites at her bottom lip and looks up at Apple in the mirror. Apple throws the brush on the vanity and drapes her arms over Raven's shoulders.

"I love you too, Raven. I've loved you since the moment I saw you." The two fairytale girls stare at each other for as long as they can before the embarrassment takes over, then they continue getting ready.

Once they are both ready they head for the door, but Apple holds back and stops Raven.

"Raven, I'm pretty sure my Mother is coming today. I'm positive she will try to take me out of school. I'm also positive that if we stick together, and remember we love each other, we can win this. But, I want you to remember, my mother is incredibly clever. She will use every trick in the book to separate us. She is a queen, so her number one tactic is how things look, not how they actually are, but how they look. She will use verbal trickery to make this look like something it is not. So, when everything goes down, try to remember how she fights." Apple puts her hand on Raven's cheek.

"Okay Apple. I'm scared, but we can beat this together." Raven leans in and gives Apple a kiss.

XXX

Raven is nervous all morning, waiting for the storm to come, but it isn't until che-myth-stry class that the announcement is made.

"Apple White and Raven Queen, please come to the Headmasters office at once.

Raven takes a deep breath, stands up and walks over to Apple. She takes Apple's hand in her own, trying to ignore all of her peers watching them wide-eyed, and the two walk out together.

The campus is beautiful. The trees are all showing off their brightest colors and the sun creates a golden halo around everything. The girls don't speak, both of them trapped in their own thoughts and fears. Apple is trying to prepare herself to do verbal battle with the hardest opponent possible, her mother, and Raven is wondering if this is the last time the two of them will be able to walk on campus, hand in hand like this. She wants to believe Apple when she says they can beat this, but part of her just can't accept it. How can they take on an entire kingdom and win? Raven keeps her fear under control until they are walking up the stairs to the Headmasters office.

"Raven, you are shaking like a leaf!" Apple stops and puts both her hands on Raven's cheeks.

"I'm pretty scared, Apple. I know I shouldn't be, and we have each other, but I can't help it. I'm scared." Raven's lip pushes out a little.

"I'm scared too, honestly, but we can do this. I've got you!" Apple gives Raven her best smile and Raven can feel the magic wash over her.

"Thanks Apple." The two turn to Headmaster Grimm's foreboding door, take deep breaths, and step inside.

Snow White is sitting behind Headmaster Grimm's desk with a group of Dwarves standing behind her. Headmaster Grimm is standing in the corner by the windows, his hands fretting. Snow White smiles brilliantly when the two girls walk in, holding hands.

"There's my Apple! And Raven, it is wonderful to see you both." Snow white does not move, just sits and radiates. Her magic hits Raven full force and she feels pulled towards the gravity of this charismatic queen. How could anything bad come about from the actions of this perfect woman. She seems calm and completely reasonable. Suddenly, Raven is not scared anymore. Every thing will be fine now that Queen Snow White is here!

Raven shakes her head to clear the magic and puts up the best mental shield she can muster. She can't imagine what it must've been like for Apple to have constantly been in the presence of such power, such charismatic magic. She can imagine Apple, as a baby, sucking in this comfort.

Snow White's brilliance, the thing that makes her so powerful, is not her awe inspiring leadership, it is her ability to have things her way without ever having to ask. She doesn't have to get angry, or forceful, her mere presence is enough to make anyone do as she wishes. Poor baby Apple would have no defenses. No wonder she was so naively obsessed with her own story. She was obsessed because her mother was obsessed, and whatever Snow White wants, Snow White gets! Suddenly, all of Apple's actions over the past few years make perfect sense to Raven. The calm, almost scary insistence that Raven follow her destiny, The odd belief that Raven would be just as happy to accept the negative outcomes of her destiny as Apple was to accept the positive outcomes of her own, all of it makes so much sense now that she's met Snow White. Raven squeezes Apples hand as a show of solidarity.

The two girls stand, defiant, hand in hand.

"The headmaster tells me that your story has gone a little off track as of late. Apple, honey, we've decided that it would be best if you came home for awhile, so you can clear your head a bit and we can make sure your story goes just as it should." Snow gives Apple a big smile. Raven is disgusted with how small Snow White is making this situation, as if their love, this love that burns white hot through her body, was just the story getting a little off the tracks. Raven can feel her magic, bubbling up inside of her, ready for release. It is Apple that squeezes Raven's hand this time.

The girls stand, Defiant, hand in hand.

"What do you think, honey. Why don't you come home for a little while?" Snow White doesn't seem perturbed at all by the silence she is confronted with, in fact she seems to just enjoy basking in her own presence. She waits.

"Why mother dear, I'm not sure what gave you the impression that anything is wrong with me whatsoever, I'm right as rain. In fact, I'm happier than I've ever been! There is no need to miss any school! I think I will just stay here and make sure my story goes exactly as it should." Raven turns to Apple, stunned. The same magic that Snow White is employing so brilliantly is oozing just as strongly from Apple White. Apple does not seem scared or angry, in fact, if Raven was looking at this from the outside it would seem like a lovely mother daughter chat. Apple is smiling and seems genuinely happy to see her mother. She stares back and forth between the two women, shocked by this strange, manipulative style of communication, but she can not see past either of their facades.

"Well Apple, it seems—"

"Enough!" Raven is shocked at her own voice coming out so unexpectedly. Not only that, her magic springs out, her entire body growing purple. "I love Apple White and I will do everything I can to protect her! No matter what!" Raven's voice is backed with a menacing tone. Apple squeezes her hand as hard as she can and smiles good-naturedly over at Raven.

"My dear Raven, what are you saying, and why are you threatening us with your magic? It seems you are taking this very seriously. Am I to understand you correctly? You would use magic against me if you considered me a threat?" Snow White's voice is sickly sweet.

Raven notices that one of the Dwarves is filming this back and forth and suddenly it all becomes clear. This is what Apple was warning her about. Snow White wants Raven to fly off the handle and threaten them with magic, perhaps even use it, so that she can show the world how evil Raven is. Raven takes a deep breath and reels her magic back in. Apple lets out her breath when she feels the magic retreating.

"I'm sorry your majesty. I would never ever do anything to harm you in any way. My emotion got the best of me." Raven tries to smile as sweetly as she can. For a split second she can see a cloud pass over Snow White's perfect face. A look of disappointment, only there for a few seconds. This small crack in her demeanor invigorates Raven. Perhaps Apple is right! Perhaps they can win! Raven stands a little taller, smiles a little brighter and squeezes Apple's hand in thanks.

"Well, I still think—" Snow White is interrupted by the door opening. All eyes turn towards the intrusion. Very meekly, Cupid and Cloe peek around the door. Snow White's dwarves close the circle around her, protecting their queen.

"Girls, now is not the time! What are you doing here?" Headmaster Grimm is so angry his face is turning red.

"I have something to say that pertains to this situation." Cupid looks ashamed and scared. Cloe is serene and regal.

Headmaster Grimm looks over to Snow White, a look of confusion plastered on his face. Snow White shrugs her shoulders.

"Come in girls, if you have something to say about this matter we would love to hear it." Snow White waves her Dwarves back. Cupid and Cloe both step into the room and sit down on the chairs in front of Headmaster Grimm's desk. Raven realizes the chairs were probably put there for her and Apple. Once they are seated the two girls stare at Queen Snow White in awe.

"Well…Spit it out!" Headmaster Grimm stares at the young goddesses.

"Oh! Right! Um… So I have done the two of you a wrong." Cupid looks over at Apple and Raven with fear and anguish on her features. Raven is struck with a wild desire to grab Apple and run out of the room, before Cupid can say anymore. "I'm so sorry you guys." Cupid turns back to Headmaster Grimm and Queen Snow White. "I have had a crush on Dexter Charming from the moment I first saw him. I wanted him so badly it became kind of an obsession. Unfortunately, Raven Queen was standing in my way. No matter how much I tried to get Dexter to notice me, he only had eyes for Raven, so, I used my magic inappropriately. I am the reason Apple and Raven are together. I… I wanted Dexter Charming to love me, so I used my power to get Raven out of the way so that he could be mine." Cupid is staring at the floor and sniffling. Her shoulders shake from trying to hold in her emotions

"You did what?" Headmaster Grimm yells. "Well, this explains everything! You hit Apple and Raven with your arrows and forced them to love each other!"

"Not exactly… I hit Raven with an arrow. I did not use my arrows on Apple White." Cupid stares at her shoes.

Cupid's words flow over Raven like poison, eating at her skin. That morning a few weeks ago, in the castleteria. She had been looking at Dexter, excited that he was getting up the courage to ask her out on another date, then she had looked at Apple and everything changed. That is when Cupid had shot her with the arrow. Looking back now it makes perfect sense. All of her friends had been so shocked when she told them about her feelings for Apple White, often telling her they'd never seen any signs that she was gay. There were no signs because she was never gay!

This love of hers. This love that has been consuming her for weeks. This love that sustains her. The reason she wakes up in the morning and goes to bed at night. The greatest, most perfect love she has ever felt, is all fake. Raven is in shock. Every thing she has come to live for is a lie. She looks down at her own hand linked with Apple's and follows apple's arm up to her chest. The chest that last night she had… Oh gods… and all of it was fake. She follows Apple's neck up to her face.

"No no no no. Please Raven, no." Apple is shaking her head back and forth, her eyes pleading, as tears stream down her face. Raven stares into Apple's blue eyes and is shocked to see that she is gorgeous, even when she is crying. But even that thought is not her own! That thought only exists because Cupid has changed her feelings! Shame floods Raven's body and she does the only thing her shock filled mind will allow.

She drops Apple's hand.

Apple's quiet crying suddenly turns very loud and she puts out her arms and stumbles towards Raven. Raven pushes her away and is instantly reminded of her dream. This feeling of uncontrollable love for Apple White while simultaneously pushing her away every time she came close is exactly what she'd dreamt a few nights earlier. It seems that it was a prophetic dream. Here she is pushing Apple away while feeling nothing but love for her. But it isn't her love, it is a made up love.

"Please Raven, please." Apple tries to hug Raven again. But, Raven pushes her back.

Raven is in shock. The information has destroyed her and Apple. She can't bear the pain she is causing, but she can't touch Apple. Not with this new information. Finally Apple stops trying. She stares at Raven with eyes so wounded they make Raven's heart break. Then she turns and runs out of the room. Raven turns to Cupid, who has started crying. Snow White snaps her fingers and points. All of the dwarves in the room run out after Apple.

"Well it seems that there is a lot more to this than I thought, but it seems my business is done here, Headmaster Grimm. Apple will be taking a leave of absence from school for a while, please have all the paperwork sent to me and good luck with this… unfortunate situation." With that, Snow White stands up and leaves Headmaster Grimm's office.

Raven watches her go, then turns back to cupid, and lets her anger out. She explodes in purple magic, making Cupid jump back in her chair. Cloe slides quietly off her chair onto her knees, places her hand on the floor, and quietly speaks. The floor erupts in black flames. Headmaster Grimm is shocked by this new magic, but Cupid and Raven don't seem to notice.

"You are a monster! How could you do this to me. I just destroyed my best friend, no, my lover, as you very well know, because you made us that, and now I am being destroyed!" Raven tries to hold back her tears, but they spill onto her cheeks anyway. "You must have shot Dexter too, right? You think he will be happy being in love with you, even though it's a lie?"

"Raven, love is never a lie. And no, I did not shoot Dexter. You are the only person I used my powers on. Dexter came to me willingly. Raven, I am so sorry, please believe me." Cupid still can't look up.

"Well, your little mess up has cost me everything. I don't know how you sleep at night. I hope Dexter realizes how awful you are and you end up alone." Raven can't stand it anymore so she leaves the room. What is the point of being there anymore. What does it matter? Everything that she and Apple built was destroyed, and she'd hurt her poor, beautiful, Apple White so badly. The one thing Apple had asked at the beginning of their relationship was that Raven shouldn't ask her out if she wasn't sure that it was what she wanted. At the time Raven had been sure, she never realized that her feelings were not her own. On her way out, Raven uses her magic to slam the door so hard it cracks.

After Raven leaves those remaining sit in silence for a few moments. Cupid can't help her sobs. Nobody is really sure what to say. Finally, Headmaster Grimm breaks the silence.

"Cupid, this is a terrible thing you have done and I expect you to turn Raven back to normal immediately." He stares at Cupid, but she can't respond, she is crying too hard.

"If I might respond, Headmaster Grimm." Cloe raises her hand as she speaks.

"Go Ahead, Cloe."

"I have been sent to this school as a representative of the mythic world to help Cupid through this trying time in her life. We did not feel Cupid was equipped to deal with this situation all by herself. Especially in a foreign land." Cloe places both of her hands on the desk in front of her, her spiderweb tattoos barely showing under her long sleeves.

"You knew Cupid had done this when you were sent? That was weeks ago, why didn't you say anything?" Headmaster Grimm is shocked.

"It was not my place to say anything. The rules governing a God or Goddess' powers are incredibly strict. Making mistakes is kind of a right of passage for us. Almost every God or Goddess uses their powers for selfish reasons at some point in their youth, it is impossible to have powers and not use them that way at least once. The lessons learned from these mistakes are invaluable to our kind, so for us, this process is sacred. Now that Cupid has made the right choice and come forward, it is her sacred right to deal with this situation as she sees fit. So, unless it is her choice, she can not follow your orders pertaining to this situation." Cloe sits back in her chair, her eyes never leaving Headmaster Grimm.

"Well, this is my school and I will not have students dictating what I can and cannot—"

"I will undo what I have done to Raven," Cupid interrupts, "under one condition. I want Raven to ask me to undo it personally, and only after she has listened to a few things I have to say to her." Cupid is much calmer, but her breath still hitches intermittently.

"The insolence! This is my school and you will do as I tell you!" Headmaster Grimm's voice raises in anger.

"Headmaster Grimm, we really don't want this to become an international incident. I am your student and I respect that this is your institution, but this is not something that can be passed over lightly. If you cannot meet us in the middle on this, I will have to get my mother involved. Cupid is not asking for much. She has agreed to undo the magic she has cast upon Raven, with a few, small, conditions. Please, I beg of you, accept this compromise." Cloe bows her head to the Headmaster.

"Fine! I will let Raven know of Cupid's terms. However, and I thought this went with out saying, I don't want either of you casting anymore magic on your peers! Is that understood?" Headmaster Grimm waits until he gets a "yes sir" from both girls and then sends them out of his office. He sits back in his chair and lets out a sigh once they are gone. 'I'm getting too old for this job,' he thinks, 'tradition means nothing anymore!'


	14. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone, Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story! It's been so much fun writing it! A big thanks to everyone who leaves reviews! Hearing your feedback really inspires me!**

 **So, I've always been interested in Cupid's character, even when she was in Monster High. All the other fairytales can get pretty dark, but Greek Mythology is really intense! The Gods are constantly messing with mortals, usually to the mortals detriment. What are the limits of Cupid's power and would she use her power to get the love she wants? The Gods do it all the time in mythology, so I figured it would happen in the EAH universe as well.**

 **Which brings me to Cloe. I brought Cloe into this story to be a friend for Cupid. Someone that would understand what she has done and could push her in the right direction. When I first started writing her I had no idea who she was, but now, she has kind of taken on a very specific personality. Of course, this means that I will have to go back and rewrite all of the scenes with Cloe in order to make sure they match her personality. So, if she seems to be completely different now then she did at the beginning, that is why. It'll all be changed in the second draft anyway.**

 **This chapter is complete and total fluff. I needed a break from angsty writing and I'm sure you all did as well, so I wrote this chapter. Now I can get back to the other characters and clean up this awful mess I have made! Anyway, please keep reading and remember to leave a review! Thanks!**

 **XXX**

 **Lime Flavored Kisses**

Cloe extinguishes the magic under her cauldron with a sigh. Nothing is really turning out as she'd hoped. She expected the knot would begin to unravel once Cupid admitted what she'd done, but the opposite occurred. It's been a week since Cupid came clean and now the threads are so helplessly tangled she can't make heads nor tails of them, in fact, more threads are being sucked up into the knot. Most recently, Faybelle's.

The school is in a full on angst meltdown. Apple has been taken out of school by her mother, Raven is holed up in her room with Madeline Hatter, refusing to speak to Cupid, Cupid is holed up with Cloe in Cloe's room, Cerise hasn't been seen for a week, Kitty is moping around and hiding in corners, Daring and Faybelle are constantly whispering to each other, and Lizzy is secretly stalking Daring and, worst of all, her and Blondie's threads are starting to knot and moving towards the main knot, which means Blondie is starting to crush on her, just as she is Blondie. Cloe has been trying to bottle the excitement in her heart ever since she first saw the knot forming, but it keeps escaping.

Cloe has spent the last week trying to comfort Cupid. Unfortunately, she isn't any good at giving comfort. She wasn't raised to comfort, she was raised to measure and cut. She was raised to view lives as nothing more than threads in a gigantic tapestry, because it is easier to view them that way. Her mother is always telling her to "Look at the whole, not the parts," and it makes sense. If she stays far away from people it doesn't hurt as much to cut and measure.

At night she listens to Cupid cry and acts like she is asleep. During the day she tries to tell her that this will all work out and that she understands that it hurts. But how can she make it hurt less for Cupid? This is a mystery she is unable to solve, so she does the only thing she can. Stays with her.

At first, Cupid refused to see Dexter. Cloe had to go to the poor boy and explain that he is so associated with Cupid's guilt that it is impossible for her to see him. He eventually understood. But now that a week has passed Cupid is starting to come out of the protective cocoon she has built around herself and she and Dexter are going to spend the afternoon together in Cloe's room, which means she needs to find somewhere to go.

So, with her mind screaming in terror, she goes looking for a way to "accidentally" run into Blondie. Her mind and heart battle as she is looking. Her mind tells her that the best thing to do is avoid Blondie at all costs, and part of her really wants to do that, but her heart just wants to see if she can get another hug from her beautiful new friend.

She searches for over an hour. She strikes out in the dorms, the common room, and the castleteria, then finally accepts the inevitable and gives up her search, which means she finally has some free time and nothing to do with it. So she lets her feet go where they will, trusting in Mother Earth to lead her to where she is supposed to be.

She walks aimlessly around the school grounds, eventually ending up on the same hill where Blondie had first hugged her, and to her surprise Blondie is there, laying on the grass and staring up at the sky, her traditional yellow and blue dress blowing in the light breeze.

Cloe is suddenly frozen to the spot. She's spent the last hour and a half looking for this girl and now she can't bring herself to take the final few steps towards her. What will she say? How will she start up a light, unimportant conversation? Her anxiety builds to the point that she can't take it anymore, so she turns to leave. Blondie, as if aware of her situation, picks that exact moment to sit up and look behind her. Her face lights up when she sees Cloe.

"Cloe, Hi! What are you doing? Come sit down!" Blondie waves her over, dissipating some of Cloe's anxiety. 'I'll just go sit with her for a moment,' Cloe thinks, 'what could that hurt?' She walks over and sits down next to her new friend. The two don't really know what to say, so they both stare up at the pink sky. After a while Blondie lets out a sigh and lays back in the grass, which draws her skirt up her legs slightly, a fact Cloe has a hard time trying to ignore. She sneaks glances quietly, then feels weird being the only one sitting, and lays down as well.

"Well, Cupid has really gotten herself into quite a mess. I feel bad for her… I feel bad for Apple… and Raven… I feel bad for everybody! This has been an awful week for a lot of people. How are you… holding up?" Blondie looks over at Cloe and squints to shield her eyes from the slowly setting sun.

Cloe turns her head to look at Blondie and her breath instantly catches in her throat as her heart does impossible gymnastics in her chest. The sunset is shining directly on Blondie, turning her skin pink and her hair strawberry. Her eyes sparkle, her smile is brilliant, her long hair, flowing like silk around her face and on to the ground and all the words Cloe wants to say flow quickly through her mind.

 _You! You beautiful, ephemeral thing. You, who will someday fade to dust. You, whose thread I may cut. How you haunt my dreams and stalk my waking hours! You, here now, with that glint in your eyes, the glint of youth, of desire, of naivety for what the future holds. You, bathing in the sunset, so beautiful, so perfect, the line of your jaw as it dives to the graceful curve of your neck, the small pulse of the life giving vein that beats just underneath the skin, the slight parting of your lips, you are the most enchanting woman I have ever seen, you bewitch me as your ancestors bewitched mine, You! You! You! You are my enemy, the reason for mistakes. I should run from you, from the feeling of being close to you, from wanting you, needing you to change my life, to make me love, I will only hurt you, run from me, please run, because so help me, I don't think I can stop myself!_

These are the things that run through Cloe's mind, but she does not speak them. Unfortunately, they are the only words that come to her mind, so she says nothing. Blondie's wistful eyes, staring serenely towards her, suddenly focus in on on Cloe's eyes, as if she were deciphering all the thoughts Cloe is trying so hard to hide. So, the two girls stare at each other, reading each other, until Blondie lets out a good-natured laugh and puts her hand on Cloe's shoulder. Cloe is hungry for the touch and starts to drink in the feeling of Blondie's hand on her arm when Blondie suddenly pulls it away, a worried look on her face.

"I'm sorry, I spoke with Cupid about our last meeting here and she said that it was inappropriate in your world for people to be too familiar with you. I'm sorry for last time. I didn't realize what I did was taboo. I'll be more careful." Blondie slowly pulls her hand back to her own chest.

Cloe, still unable to find her voice and with her heart knocking so hard against her ribcage that she is sure it is going to rip out any second and plop down between them on the grass, pushes her hand tentatively across the seemingly endless space between them, knowing it is a gesture she should not make, knowing that it will only serve to entangle their threads even further, and lays it lightly on Blondie's arm, just below her puffed sleeve. She rubs her fingers over Blondie's skin, savoring the feel, then squeezes her arm, feeling the thin bones beneath the muscle. Blondie stares down at Cloe's hand for a moment, then lays on her back and laughs, her legs kicking as she does so. The way Cloe was touching her arm looked so lecherous! so… gropey. Blondie feels bad for laughing. She knows that Cloe didn't mean it that way, but it was just so cute!

Blondie finally finishes laughing and jumps to her feet. "Oh! I see, you want to go a little wild! Well, let's make a night of it, What do you say?" Blondie holds out her hand to Cloe and smiles, a light dusting of red across her cheeks. "What do you say, Cloe? Let's go have some fun!" Blondie continues to stare down at Cloe, enjoying the fact that she is making the poor girl squirm. After a few agonizing moments Cloe finally finds the courage to tentatively place her own hand in Blondie's. Blondie grabs her hand and pulls her up.

"Let's go brighten up the doom and gloom that has spread through this school!" And with that, Blondie is dragging Cloe down the hill towards the enchanted forest. They cut the corner and cross the bridge that leads them to Bookend. Cloe stares at Blondie's back and relishes the feel of her hand wrapped safely in Blondie's, wondering how Blondie can be so much faster when she is in heels and Cloe is in flats.

XXX

Blondie doesn't look back until they make it to the multi-hex theater. She relishes the feeling of Cloe's hand in her own, the weight of the smaller girl behind her. When she finally does stop she drops Cloe's hand, turns around and watches the fate witch put both her hands on her knees and try to catch her breath. Blonde lets out a giggle.

"You've got to be fast to catch the fun!" Blondie takes a moment to catch her own breath.

"What are we going to do?" Cloe looks around her in wonder.

"Is this your first time in Bookend?" Blondie looks around her as well, seeing the town for the first time through Cloe's eyes.

"Yes, I didn't even know this was here!"

"Well, they've got an arcade in here that is a lot of fun! Do you like games?" Blondie leads Cloe to the door.

"I haven't played a lot of video—" Cloe's words are lost in the wall of sound that greets them inside the door. Blondie leads them forward, through corridors of people and into the arcade. Blondie stops and scans the room. She sees an open machine near the back and heads over. Once they are in the back the noise dies down a little and they can hear again.

"This is the most hexcellent game on the market, and it is based off my fairy tale!" Blondie pulls Cloe around to face the screen. "Bear Run" is written in gold letters across the top of the screen. Underneath the letters is a picture of a small blonde girl running away from three very angry looking bears.

"What do I do?" Cloe bites her bottom lip. Blondie can't help but smile by how out of place Cloe seems here.

"You run! Here, I'll show you." Blondie spends the next few minutes teaching Cloe to play, completely taken with her inability to figure out the game. Every time the game begins, Cloe's inability to properly steer her character get her caught within seconds, which causes Cloe to let out a yelp, followed by a pout.

"I just don't think I'll be able to get this, Blondie. I'm so sorry." Cloe looks completely disheartened.

"You'll get it, you just need a little more practice!" Blondie gives Cloe her best you-can-do-it smile and restarts the game.

An hour later and Cloe's demeanor has completely changed. Blondie is shocked that her little frame could hold so much aggression! Once she's figured out the controls a monster is born. In fact, some of her runs are as good as Blondie's! But the most amazing part, Cloe comes out of her shell. She is yelling and laughing at the screen as if she'd played video games all of her life.

Cloe's shoulder length black hair is constantly falling in her face so she keeps trying to put it behind her ears. Blondie sits back and enjoys the show. Everything on Cloe seems so… delicate. Her small hands and thin arms, her seashell ears and rosebud nose, but Blondie is constantly drawn to the girls eyes. Eyes so dark they seem to hold infinite depth.

During a particularly intense run Cloe's hair falls in her face again, but she is too busy to push it back behind her ear, so Blondie reaches over and does it for her, her fingers lingering just a bit. Cloe's cheeks fill with color and she is instantly caught by the bears, she turns to Blondie, her eyes huge as she worries at her bottom lip with her teeth.

"Are you feeling snacky?" We should go get some dessert!" Blondie tries to hide the blush that is raising to her own cheeks.

"Sure… I would like that." Cloe reaches up and rubs the ear Blondie just touched. Blondie holds out her hand and waits for Cloe to take it… and they are off again! Out through the corridors of people and back into the cold night air of Bookend. This time Blondie leads her to the Wonderland Tea Shop and Haberdashery. She stops just outside the doors.

"So, this tea shop is run by Maddie's father and it is wonderlandiful! But, it is also a little mad, so you're never quite sure you will get what you order." Blondie opens the door and ushers Cloe inside.

Cloe is immediately surrounded by madness. Teapots are flying every which way and and the walls are covered in doors that seem to lead to places completely off the map. Still, she can sense no magic from these things. The only magic she senses comes from a dark corner of the restaurant, where Daring Charming and Faybelle Thorn are having an incredibly animated conversation. Faybelle notices her entrance as well. Cloe gives the fairy a slight bow and Faybelle returns the gesture and returns to her conversation with Daring.

Blondie leads Cloe to a table right in the thick of it and the two sit down. A few seconds later a very tall skinny fellow with a large hat comes to their table.

"Two and two, one with you and one with you." The Mad Hatter gives the girls a deep bow.

"Hello, Mr. Hatter Sir! We'd like—" Blondie pauses, knowing she is going to be cut off, but the Mad Hatter just continues to look at her. "Oh, Ok, We'd like… I thought you were going to interrupt me, so I really don't know what we want!"

"I would enjoy a cup of—" Cloe begins

"One of these, two of these, and three of these!" From out of nowhere the Mad Hatter produces a key lime pie, a plate with two scones, and three of the biggest donuts Cloe has ever seen. The Mad Hatter pats Blondie on the head and walks away. Blondie lets out a giggle.

"There is no way we can eat all of this. Plus, I kind of wanted some tea." Cloe looks at all the sweets piled on the table with horror.

"Tea please!" Blondie shouts out to nobody in particular. Instantly a teapot and two cups fly over. Cloe watches the process in amazement. "I told you it was wonderlandiful!"

"It certainly is that! I don't know where to start!" Cloe eyeballs all the food, again.

"You have to try this." Blondie picks up her fork and cuts a small piece off the key lime pie, then reaches across the table with her other hand under the fork. Cloe's eyes grow wide and her cheeks flush, but she bends forward and takes the bite. The taste of lime explodes over her tongue, more on the tart side, less sweet, which is just how she likes it.

"Oh my, that is fantastic! That is the best key lime pie I have ever had!" Cloe picks up her fork and cuts another piece and greedily puts it in her mouth. She leans back in her chair, drops her arms to her sides, closes her eyes and thoroughly enjoys the taste.

When she opens her eyes she is met with Blondie, elbows on the table and her head in her hands, staring at Cloe.

"You look so happy." Blondie smiles at her.

"Oh! I'm sorry, that was rude of me." Cloe takes her fork, cuts off a piece of the pie, and holds it our for Blondie. Blondie leans forward, keeping her chin in her hands and takes the bite.

"Sooo good." Blondie chews happily.

The two girls take turns feeding each other until the pie is gone. Once they are done Blondie continues to stare at Cloe. Cloe's elbows are on the table, her hands intertwined as she is looking all around the restaurant, taking in all the wonderful madness. 'For the first time since she's been here, Cloe looks content.' Blondie thinks to herself. As if on cue a look of sadness passes over Cloe's features. She turns her eyes to Blondie, then looks down at the table.

"Blondie, this is the most fun I have ever had, but I think I better get back to Cupid. I'm sure Dexter is long gone and she's probably feeling sad."

"Of course. I'm glad we had time to do this!" Blondie gets up and walks towards the door with Cloe on her heels. Somehow, Cloe's sadness is contagious and Blondie can't help feeling a little down. They are both silent for the first half of the walk back. Blondie can't help but wonder what demons Cloe must face on a regular basis.

'Wait.' Blondie thinks. 'What am I doing?' Blondie stops walking, causing Cloe to bump into her. Blondie shakes her head, clearing all the sadness out. She looks up at the stars and laughs. 'No. I like this girl and I'm not going to let any type of sadness get in the way.'

Blondie turns around and takes Cloe's hands in her own. The fate witch stares up at her, eyes wide. Blondie closes her eyes and leans in.

"Blondie… what about Cupid?" Cloe can feel Blondie's breath on her lips.

"I've had two crushes in my life and neither of them returned my feelings. You are the first crush I've had that actually returns my feelings and that makes a word of difference." Blondie leans in closer.

"But… I'm a fate witch. I'll have to see the end of your thread someday and that will ruin us. Cloe leans in a little as well.

"No it won't, just don't ever tell me. I know that puts an awful burden on you, but it beats the alternative. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life alone, having never loved?"

"Blondie—"

"Cloe. I honestly don't care." And with that Blondies lips are on Cloe's and Cloe gets another taste of lime.


	15. Chapter 13

**Well this took a turn for the weird!**

 **One of the things that Ever After High never really explains is exactly why these stories are being told over and over again. What is the use of retelling Snow White generation after generation. All Headmaster Grimm ever says is that it is tradition. But why? Somebody has to be getting something out of it, or they wouldn't keep doing it. Anyway, this chapter is kind of about that. It's also about destiny and change.**

 **Anyway, I really hope you guys like it! Please make sure to leave a review, I live for them!**

 **Of Insects and Nightmares**

Apple watches the trees fly past the limousine window and tries to ignore the fact that with every passing second she is farther from Raven. Everything had happened so fast. She'd run out of Headmaster Grimm's office and before she knew it her mother's dwarves had been on all sides of her and ushered her to the car. And here she is, deeper than she's ever been in the Enchanted Forest, miles and miles away from her school, her friends, and the people that really love her. They have gone through at least three guarded gates, which means they are deep in her mother's lands. It is easy to guess where her mother is taking her. Somewhere so remote that no one will be able to find her. They're going to the cottage in the woods where her destiny is to take place. the home of the seven dwarves. The cottage is forbidden to any White that isn't going to inherit the throne and even the one who is shouldn't see it until it is time for her destiny to be fulfilled. Apple can't even begin to comprehend what her mother is thinking.

"Mother, I'm scared, please tell me what's happening." Apple turns her pleading eyes to her mother who is sitting across from her and staring out the other window, deep in thought.

"Oh my sweet baby, don't you worry about a thing. You're with mama now and I will make everything right." Snow gives Apple her most charming smile.

"I don't know if I want everything to be right, mama. I'm in pain, I… I've lost something so important to me and without… her, I don't think I can go on." Apple looks into her mother's eyes, hoping to reach her.

"Hush about that, my dear. You don't need to worry about that anymore. You've hit a little snag in your destiny, but that is being taken care of now." Snow White looks back out the window.

"No, mom, please, for just a moment, please be real with me. I'm devastated, I don't know what to do, please help me. Talk real to me." Apple leans forward and takes her mother's hands in her own.

Snow turns slowly to Apple. "Oh Apple," her words spill like honey from her mouth, "this mask never coms off." She returns her daughter's stare, her lips pulled up into a comforting smile, but Apple can see something behind her eyes, something that terrifies her. Snow squeezes Apple's hands as the young girl tries to squirm away, tries to get out from under those eyes, but no matter how hard she tries, she can't look away from her mother. Can't ignore the truth in those eyes. Is Snow scared? Terrified? Her eyes beg for release, but Apple can't tell from what. Perhaps, Snow isn't the villain Apple has been thinking she was. Perhaps Snow is the victim.

"You think you've lost something, my darling? You don't even know the meaning of the word loss. You haven't even begun to understand what sacrifices you'll have to make. But never fear, mama's here with you and she will make sure that everything goes exactly to plan." Snow leans back in her seat and drops Apple's hands. Apple tries not to, but she can't help it. She turns to her little corner of the car and whimpers quietly to herself. "Now now, dear, don't cry, everything will be fine." Snow says without turning her eyes away from the window and for the first time, Apple can't feel any comfort from her words. The magic is there, but Apple can sense the loneliness and loss behind it.

'My mother doesn't want me to go through with this!' Apple thinks to herself. 'I'm one of her sacrifices!' And with that the truth slowly sinks in. Nobody is happy. Not her mother, not the evil queen, not her, not Raven. Nobody is happy with the way things are. Nobody gets any happiness reliving these ridiculous stories over and over again. It is a hollow tradition and she wonders to herself if there is even a soul alive that could tell her why they continue to do it.

"I won't do it, mama. I won't follow my destiny. I will stand up to all of this and make you proud and I'll get Raven back. Just you watch." Apple clenches her fists, ready to take on the world.

"Oh you silly goose, you always had a stubborn streak, but don't you worry, you will become what you were born to be, and then you will give up your only daughter to do the same. We all put on the mask eventually." Snow White does not take her eyes off the trees passing her window, but Apple swears she can see her eyes mist over, just slightly.

"Just you watch, mama. Just you watch."

"Oh I will watch, believe me. Anyway, we're here." The car pulls to a stop. The road has turned into a clearing in the forest. "Now you hop out and follow the trail over there. It will be sundown by the time you get where you're going, so don't dally. Also, and you really must trust me on this, do not step off of the trail for any reason. This is the deepest fairy tales go into this forest and there are things out there you don't want to meet and you absolutely don't want to spend the night out here alone. You are out of my hands for now sweetie. I'm sorry, I wish mama could go with you. The next time I see you you will have fulfilled your destiny." Snow White reaches over and takes her daughter's hands.

"I'm scared mama. Please don't make me go. Take me back to the school so I can talk with Raven. I know we can figure this out." Apple tries to crawl across the seat to be closer to her mother, But Snow pushes her away. The chauffeur opens Apple's door.

"It'll be okay Apple. You are my big, brave girl. This is what we've been so excited about! This is the final trail that leads to your destiny! Show me how brave you are! Go on." Snow motions Apple out the door.

Reluctantly, Apple steps out of the car. A chill wind swirls around her, causing a shiver. Snow is looking out the other window seemingly unaware of her daughter. The chauffeur closes the door, gives Apple a sad -I'm sorry- look and gets back in the car. The sound of the car pulling away is the loudest thing Apple has ever heard.

XXX

Snow immediately pulls out her mirror phone as the car is pulling away and dials her personal secretary. As she is waiting for the phone to connect, she looks back at her only daughter, shivering in the cold with her face in her hands, her shoulders racked with sobs, and somewhere deep within her heart old feelings, dark, dark, feeling start to bubble up. Coppery self-hate tinged with sour abuse, and underneath all of that, the rotten stench of lost love. Everything trying to overcome her, to break her walls.

"Box, box, box it all up." Snow white whispers to herself as she reaches down and pinches her thigh as hard as she can. The physical pain allows her to block out the emotional. This is what her mother had taught her and she learned the lessons well. She is a much better Snow White than her mother ever was, and, if she has done her work properly, Apple will be a better Snow White than her. Cold, kind, beautiful, and most importantly, dead inside. "It's all for the reader." Another old saying of her mother's. One that Apple will be learning very soon.

So she boxes. She ignores her guilt. Ignores the part of her that had tried to run away with her daughter to hide her from this awful destiny. She ignores what she wants because there is no reason thinking about what you can't have, which is something Apple will have to learn soon enough. She stuffs it all down and turns her head away from Apple. Finally, her phone connects.

"Everything is done here. The dwarves have eyes on Apple. She will not be leaving the cottage until her destiny is fulfilled, even if it takes years. Our next move is to find another villain, Raven is out of the equation. I hate to do it, this is going to destroy her poor mother, but there is no way Raven can be a part of this story any longer. We will have to come up with a fake story for the news when she poofs out of existence. For now, get me Daring Charming. He is still salvageable." Snow hangs up the phone and leans back in her seat. Finally, everything is happening. When Apple comes down from the cottage she will have the knowledge to be the queen of Ever After, and Snow White will no longer be the only one with this knowledge.

XXX

Apple stands in the clearing and cries. She cries until she is all cried out and then she stands and waits, part of her hoping that her mother will come back to get her. Hoping that this is all some kind of lesson her mother is trying to teach her. She reaches around for her bag and realizes she left it in the car. She has no mirror phone, so no way to get a hold of anyone back at school. The sun slowly moves down the horizon and Snow White's warning echoes in her ears. She does not want to spend the night alone in this forest.

So she walks. The trail head cuts through the forest and meanders to the right. The trees hug the trail close. She'd have to work pretty hard to leave the beaten path. The trees are all twisted and angry looking, some of them seem to have faces. The wind cuts down the trail and blows the yellow leaves, like snow, off the trees and creates white noise that blocks out all other sounds.

'If this is my story Hunter Huntsman should be showing up at any moment.' She thinks. 'how wonderful it would be to see him.' But there is no sign of life other than her own. Perhaps rushing the story will leave Hunter out.

Apple thinks about Raven, wondering if her mother is going to find a way to force her to poison Apple and part of her hopes she will. At least then she would be able to see Raven again. Raven. Purple hair, violet eyes, loving caresses, and secret kisses. All of it seems like ages ago and she wishes that she would've appreciated it more when it was happening.

The wind cuts her to the quick. She can't stop shivering. Her teeth chatter uncontrollably and her skin feels like it is on fire. The sun drops down the sky little by little and it gets colder and colder.

Before she realizes it the forest has gone dark and the path is much harder to follow. Her foot catches on a root and she falls onto her elbows, tearing a gash in her dress. She gets up and rubs her elbows, then carries on. A few steps later she trips again, tearing her dress even more.

The wind has died down and now the chill lies stagnant in the air all around her. The sounds of the leaves in the trees has been replaced by the sounds of night. Of insects and nightmares. Of cracking branches and following footsteps. Apple starts to panic and tries to run which causes her to fall again. and again.

She's not sure how long she's been walking, not even sure she is on the trail anymore. Her dress is ripped to shreds, she's colder than she's ever been, and the sounds all around her constantly seem to be following her. Her perfect skin is gashed and cut causing her to ache everywhere. She's tired and hungry.

"I give up, mother. I give up. You win. please. please come any get me, mama." She drops to her knees, sending pain up her legs and into her hips. "I can't go any further. Raven. I need you. I need you right now." But Raven isn't here and her mother isn't coming back. Nothing here but darkness and trees with thorns like knives. She falls to the ground and tries to look further up the trail. In the distance she sees a cave with a soft white glow coming from inside. Her heart skips a beat and she slowly pulls herself back to her feet.

Perhaps the cave is where she needs to go. Perhaps this is the end of the trail! She'd expected a cottage, but maybe the cottage is just a name for this cave. She stumbles forward and the light coming from the cave gets brighter. Where is the light coming from. It isn't from a fire, the light is too white, too constant. As she comes around the mouth of the cave she tries to see in, but the light is blinding. This must be the place.

She shields her eyes and steps into the cave.

Her eyes take a moment to adjust. She is standing in perfect whiteness. Nothing but pure white. She can feel the floor under her, but she can't see where the floor ends and the walls begin. Her eyes tell her that she is floating in perfect white nothingness. She lets out a frustrated growl and tries to walk forward. She can sense that she is walking, but her eyes perceive no change. Pure white everywhere. Well, almost everywhere. Off in the distance she can see traces of black, so she heads in that direction. Again, she is not sure how far she has walked, but slowly the black shapes begin to take form. They are letters. Words! Sentences! She gets close enough to read them. Apple starts at the first word and reads them out loud,

"Apple starts at the first word and reads them out loud, then brings her hand up to her mouth in shock." then brings her hand up to her mouth in shock. She reads on, silently and every word mirrors exactly what she is doing. Her heart beats wildly in her chest and a small, strained laugh leaves her lips. Everything is written on this wall. She walks a little closer and she can see things forming in-between the letters. She gets closer and closer, until the letters tower over her and she can see moving images behind them. She focuses in on the images.

In one a child lays in bed with her father reading a book to her. In another a girl is at school reading from a book. Parents reading to children, children reading to themselves, all of them, reading her story. Apple is sure of it! Each person in these visions is reading her story! She's a story! She is a story being read in some other world!

She turns to run. Within two steps she's out of the cave and back in the enchanted forest. She trips (again) and falls directly on her face. The world swims around her and blackness begins to seep in. She welcomes it gladly.

XXX

The first of her senses to fade back in is her hearing. She can her the busy movement of someone around her and the clinking of dishware. She can hear the sining of birds far off in the distance. Each sound shoots like a spike into her brain. Which brings on the next sense: Pain. Her entire body aches, especially her head and her face. Slowly, all the other sensations come crashing in. She can taste the cool and crisp forest air. She can smell bread and tea. Her eyes flutter open and she is blinded by sunlight. She can see the vague shapes of dwarves moving around her bed. She is at home! She sits up excitedly which causes her head to swim and sends a jolt of pain through her. No, she's not at home. As her eyes adjust she can see she is in a small cottage. These aren't her dwarves running busily running around her, they are dwarves she's never seen.

"Lay down, Snow, or you'll just make it worse." A kind and gruff voice says beside her. She slowly lays down confused.

"Wait a minute, did you just call me Snow? That's my Mother's name. I'm Apple." Apple tries to open her eyes again, but the light is too bright.

"Not anymore. The moment you stepped foot here you became Snow White, and when you head back to the world of Ever After you will be Snow White, until your daughter comes up here and claims the name for herself." The gruff voice seems to be moving around while he talks. He finally returns to her side and places something on the table Apple assumes is next to the bed. "There's some tea here. Relax a bit longer and then try to sit up again."

"Thank you. Who are you?"

"I'm Doc, ironic that I'm the one caring for you seeing as I'm not really a doctor!" The gruff voice lets out a guffaw.

"Wait… Doc, as in one of the seven dwarves, Doc?" Apple opens her eyes and forces them to stay open. An older dwarf with a long white beard is sitting next to her bed.

"Yep, although my real name is Ted, but I became Doc when I came here. My father was Doc for your mother."

Apple can't believe her eyes. This is it. The real story. This is exactly what she'd been training for her whole life.

"Are all of you here?" Snow looks around the room, her sight is still blurry, but she hears seven voices give the affirmative. She smiles weakly. "The seven dwarves, here. Wait where is here? Where… How did I get here. The cave! Our story… Our story is a story is a…"

"Sorry to stop you there, Snow, but whatever you saw in that cave is for you alone. We can't know anything about it. That is knowledge only for the queen of Ever After." Doc puts a hand on her forehead. "Might be best for you to try and get some more rest. You've had a hard night."

Apple closes her eyes and tries to control her panicked breathing. She replays the events of last night in her head. She had seen it. Their world, all of them, really were the stuff of stories for another land. She thinks back on the fact that ever since her birth she had been raised to play her part in her story, never realizing that she was literally being raised to play her part in a story! She lets out a small giggle. How brilliant a scheme. Hidden in plain sight.

So, if she has this knowledge it means her mother must've had it before her. Her mother knew that the stories were actually stories all along. She knew that her daughter couldn't ever choose to be who she wanted. She knew that her daughter could never choose who she would be with. Everything Apple would ever do was decided for her at birth. How terrible it must've been for her mother to have to raise her child knowing that she would have to deny her the right to make any choices for herself. Sympathy for her mother floods her mind.

Perhaps Headmaster Grimm was right. Their stories might actually go poof if they didn't follow their destinies. If their entire existence was nothing more than entertainment to another world, what happens when they stop being entertaining? What if the readers go away? Poof, poof, poof!

Something dreadful has been creeping up on Apple since the moment she awoke, an awful realization, and now it pounces. She has lost. There is no way to win. All of her mother's words from their drive up spin through her head. Once you put on this mask, you can never take it off. The mask of Snow White was placed on her at birth and she can never take it off. Never. She is the main character in a story that has been told generation after generation, and she will be the new Snow White for this generation. She will bring a newness to the tale so that the kids of this other world can connect.

Apple squeezes her hands into fists and scrunches her eyes. No, no, no! This isn't how it was supposed to turn out! This isn't it! There has got to be a way! She just needs to calm her mind and think, use what she learned in her logic courses.

Here is what she knows. Their stories are actually that, stories. They are told over and over again in another land. The stories are updated each generation. She assumes this is done in order to bring a newness to the tales for a new generation of readers in the other land. She also knows that Maddie has an incredible ability to turn up right when people needed help. She often explained that this was because she was told by the narrators. Could it be Maddie can actually hear the story? Logic points to yes, considering she knew about the message Ginger had baked them in the pie. Oh the conversations Apple would have with Maddie when this was all over.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Raven didn't disappear when she challenged her destiny. Why didn't Raven disappear? If she's the evil queen, she should have disappeared when she refused to play her part. Somehow, she broke her destiny in the right way. She was still relevant to the story somehow. 'What did you do, Raven? What was it?' The only logical explanation is that she was somehow still being read. perhaps…

Apple's eyes pop open. "This is the story!"

All the dwarves in the room turn to look at her.

Apple laughs and stands up. "This is the story! Every generation updates it! We're the new update! It's been updated for a new generation! Everybody knows that the version of Snow White my mother was a part of isn't the same as the original! They put the Evil Queen in white hot metal shoes for hex sake! Our generation couldn't handle that and neither can theirs! It's been changed! It is constantly changing! This is our story, Raven! This is our story! We make the changes! We do have some power over our own destinies! This is what they want to read! They want to read us! We can win this!" Apple continues screaming until her words give out to joyful laughter and she begins jumping on the bed, which is fun, until she passes out.


	16. Chapter 14

**Hey everyone! Thanks for continuing to read my story. So, thefanshipdarkhorse drew a picture of Cloe! I've never had a drawing of one of my characters and she did a really good job! I love it! I can't post a link here so head over to deviantart, search for her username (same as here), and check it out! I'm sure you'll love it!**

 **Things are heating up in the story! Factions are forming, people are realizing there real feelings, and trouble is brewing! Again, thank you for taking the time to read my fic, and please leave reviews! They make me so happy!**

 **XXX**

 **Chapter 14 - A Goddess, A Witch, and A Game of Cat… and Dog**

Raven wakes up, as she has for the past week, in Apple's bed. Maddie is snoring lightly in Raven's own bed, across the room. Every night she goes to bed with Maddie, in her bed, and somehow, in the night, she gets up and goes to Apple's bed. She doesn't remember doing it, it just always happens. Apple's smell is all around her. On the sheets, the blankets, the pillow, so she stays in bed, closes her eyes and pretends that Apple is there with her, her arms around her, her blonde hair mixing with Raven's, her cupid bow lips, slightly parted in sleep, her breath on Raven's neck, skin on skin, all of the things Raven misses.

She thinks of Apple dressing her up, dragging her around town, bouncing with happiness whenever she enters the room, smiling at her, kissing her, early morning caresses, but one memory, more than any other, plays in Raven's head. It is a worthless moment, one Apple probably doesn't even remember, but it is one Raven has held precious from the moment it happened. They were in the castleteria and Apple got up to go get her food. Raven was watching her from the table and as Apple walked up to get in line Cerise ran past and beat her to the line. Apple turned and gave Raven a 'wow, what the hell was that' half smile, half frown, and it was the cutest thing Raven had ever seen. A shared moment between just they two.

At that moment something very real had swelled in Raven's chest. Love for another human being. Raven had to fight the urge to jump up, run over, and claim the blonde princess as her own. To hug her, to help her get her food, to go everywhere with her, to do anything for her. This was something dormant just waking up. An instinct to have something she loves as her own. To protect it forever.

All of these things run through Raven's minds. All of these small lost moments know only to her and Apple. She closes her eyes and tries to ignore the tickle from the trickle of tears running down her face. Could there be anything more cruel? Could any magic be worse than the spell Cupid had cast upon her? To make things seem so real, when they are all lies. And Apple, poor Apple. Nobody knows where Snow took her, but wherever she is, what is it like for her. It was never a lie for Apple. Apple was really in love and Raven had promised her forever. If only she could somehow show Cupid what she has done. The pain she had caused with her own selfish desires. Raven isn't sure if she is feeling loss or guilt. Maybe it's both. But the cold truth is out. Her feelings aren't real.

Raven sits up, disgusted with herself for still having these thoughts. She gets up and pads over to her own bed, pulls her blankets aside, and cuddles in with Maddie. Maddie's sling is on the floor next to the bed. Maddie had to wear it for the first few days after the accident, but now Baba Yaga says she should only wear it when it hurts, other than that she's free leave it off.

Maddie's body is warm and welcoming, so Raven tries to get as close as she can, to find some comfort for her raw nerves. This body, different from Apple's, still gives her a strong sense of comfort. Maddie's smell, her breathing, all of it is incredibly nostalgic for Raven. Through it all there has always been Maddie. Back when nobody would even talk to her, there was Maddie. As her feelings for Apple grew and changed, there was Maddie.

After a few moments, Maddie, obviously woken by Raven's cuddling, turns around so they are face to face. She puts her forehead on Raven's and opens her groggy eyes.

"Did you get into Apple's bed again?" The corners of Maddie's mouth curl up in a shy smile.

"Yes." Raven pulls Maddie closer, seeking out comfort. The cold chill from outside is seeping into the room, so Raven pulls the covers over both of them.

"This is the moment. It's been long enough." Maddie puts her arms around Raven and before Raven even knows what is happening, Maddie's lips are on her's. At first Raven is shocked, but she soon settles into the kiss. This is not the type of comfort she expected, but it is good comfort nonetheless.

Maddie is insanely good at kissing. Her lips dance over Raven's and when Raven parts her lips slightly, Maddie's tongue playfully invades, running over Raven's, twisting, turning, fighting with Raven's tongue. Raven's arms move over Maddie's back, caressing, learning the feel of her back, noting the subtle differences between Maddie and Apple. Guilt spreads through her, guilt for doing this with someone other than Apple, but she pushes it down, knowing that her love for Apple isn't real. It's all Cupid's invention. After a few blissful moments, Maddie pulls away.

"Raven."

"Yes Maddie?"

"Did that turn you on?" Maddie stares directly into Raven's eyes, an impish smile on her lips.

"Um… Yes." Raven looks down, trying to hide the blush creeping into her cheeks.

"So, let me get this straight. You are a heterosexual, but Cupid shot you with an arrow to make you fall in love with Apple White, right?"

"Yes." Raven's eyes snap back up to Maddie's.

"Raven, are you in love with me?" Maddie caresses Raven's cheek.

"I love you as my best friend. I'm sorry it isn't deeper than that." Raven is confused. She can tell Maddie is about to drop some Maddie wisdom, but she can't see where it's going to come from.

"So, you are not in love with me, but right now, I'm guessing that I could've gone a lot farther with you?"

"Probably." Raven's blush is back.

"But you are a heterosexual who was forced to love Apple White, right?"

Understanding blooms in Raven's mind. "Wait a minute! If I'm a heterosexual, why did I enjoy that? Why would I want 'that' from you?"

"Bingo! Now, tell me one boy you would be interested in getting that kind of attention from right now? Name one." Maddie sits up and leans against the wall. Raven goes through the catalog of the boys at the school, not one of them interests her in the slightest.

"Maddie, I can't name one!" Raven's thoughts scramble in a million directions at once. "If Cupid hit me with an arrow to love only Apple, why would I be interested in sexual attention from another woman? Wouldn't my desires, outside of Apple, still be heterosexual? Maddie! I don't think I know what Cupid did to me! I don't understand the magic! I need to see Cupid right now! I need to know exactly what she did to me, none of this makes any sense!" Raven stands up and heads for the door.

Maddie lets out a sigh of relief. She's been building to this all week, trying and waiting for the perfect moment to get Raven to understand. If she would've made her move too early, Raven would have rejected everything. She had to wait until Raven was at her most vulnerable to make this point. Maddie gives herself a pat on the back just as Raven is out the door. It had taken a week, but Raven is now on the path to figuring out exactly what she wants. Maddie licks her lips, the taste of Raven still on them. 'Raven needs a lot more practice kissing,' she thinks to herself as she gets up and gets dressed. Now that Raven is back on track it is time to deal with Cerise.

XXX

Cupid is pulled from fitful sleep by the sound of knocking. She opens her eyes and watches Cloe drag herself out of bed to answer the door. Cupid tries to keep watching, but her eyes just won't stay open. She is just falling back into the world of dreams when Cloe shakes her shoulder.

"Cupi, Raven is here to talk to you." Cloe tries to stifle a yawn, but looses the battle and lets it out.

Cupid shoots up in bed and turns to look at the door. Raven is standing over by Cloe's bed all wide-eyed, bed head, and impatience.

"Raven, I didn't expect you in the morning! Give me just a sec." Cupid jumps up, runs to the bathroom, and splashes water on her face. She's been rehearsing what she would say to Raven all week, over and over again, but the fact that she showed up so early in the morning has completely thrown her off. Before going back out she looks in the mirror and pumps herself up to go and try to explain the awful wrong she has perpetrated on Raven Queen.

She enters the room. Cloe Has grabbed one of Maddie's chairs for Raven and left one for Cupid to sit on before going back to her bed. Cupid pulls up her chair and sits down in front of Raven.

"Raven, I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now, but can I just start off by saying I am incredibly sorry. I've always considered my magic to be inherently good, because it brings love. I've now learned that used in a wrongful manner, my magic can be evil. I never realized the implications my actions would have, it seemed such an easy, quiet transgression, and I wanted my way so bad that I got greedy and I used my powers in awful way." Tears already mist Cupid's eyes.

"It wasn't easy for Apple White." Just saying her name makes Raven's heart skip a beat.

"I know, it was awful. I can never make up for what I have done to her." Cupid's tears spill down her cheeks.

"No, you can't, but Cupid, I really need to know what you have done to me. Why am I turned on by girls other than Apple White? If you made me love her, even though I was heterosexual, shouldn't she be the only girl to turn me on?" Raven looks in to Cupid's eyes, begging for an answer. Cupid looks confused.

"Oh Raven, I never made you love Apple White." Cupid reaches over and takes Raven's hands.

"What? You said you did!" Raven is shocked.

"No, I said I used my powers on you, but I never made you love anyone. All I did was change your… preference. It is as difficult for me to explain how my powers work as it would be for Cloe to describe the threads of fate, but I can see… the way love pulls people. I think of it kind of like gravity. When two people would be wonderful together there is a pull around them and I can't help but try to push them together. I would never make you love someone you didn't already love. I'm the Goddess of Love, Raven. It is my desire to see people with the person that is perfect for them, and I've got to be honest, you and Apple White are perfect for each other. The gravity between you two is intense. That first night, when you admitted your feelings for each other, the wave of love that you two released was incredible. One of the strongest I've ever felt." Cupid links her hands and holds them to her chest as she remembers the past.

"I didn't realize you could sense that kind of stuff." Raven looks down and blushes at the memory.

"Oh yeah, I can sense when anything love related occurs. For instance, you should see the pull between Cloe and Blondie!"

"Cupi!" Cloe shoots up in bed and throws her pillow at Cupid. Raven can't help but laugh. She hasn't laughed in a week and it feels good.

"Anyway, It made me sad that Apple was madly in love with you, obviously, and you had some complicated feelings for her, but were unable to really feel anything more than friendship because of your orientation. I could see the pull of a great love between the two of you that would never be fulfilled, so I removed the obstacle, your sexual orientation. I made you gay, Raven Queen, I did not make you love Apple White." Cupid looks down, unable to meet the witches eye.

"So… all my feelings for Apple… They're mine?"

"Yes, Raven. They are all yours." Fresh tears stream down Cupid's face.

"All mine." Raven closes her eyes and brings her hands to her heart.

Cupid gets up and walks over to her wardrobe. She pulls out a small glass bottle with a cork stopper in it. Then walks back over to Raven.

"Raven, the liquid in this bottle will undo the wrong I have done you. All you need to do is drink it." Cupid hands the bottle to Raven, who takes it delicately in her fingers.

"Right now?" Raven looks up questioningly at Cupid.

"You can take it whenever you want."

"I will take it…later." Raven pockets the bottle.

"Raven, I hope someday you will find it in your heart to forgive me for what I done." Cupid tries to take Raven's hands again, but Raven pulls away.

"I don't know… I'm confused. Can we talk later?"

"Of course, Raven. Thank you for talking with me."

"Sure, cupid." Raven nods her head distractedly as she leaves the room.

Once she is gone Cupid allows herself to really weep. She hugs her knees to her chest, buries her face in her hands, and releases everything. She is startled when she feels a pair of arms encircle her.

"There there, it'll be alright." Cloe tries to rock Cupid back and forth as she speaks.

"Cloe! What are you doing?" Cupid can't stifle her laughter.

"I'm… comforting you!" Cloe releases Cupid and jumps back, obviously ashamed.

"You were comforting me the way you would a baby!" Cupid is still giggling,

"I thought that was how you were supposed to comfort people!" Cloe's lip pushes out.

"I'm sorry I'm laughing Cloe, but that was hilarious and you know what, I am comforted. You made me laugh, and I appreciate it! Seems like Blondie is teaching you quite a bit about how to interact with others." Cupid gives Cloe a wink, which makes the poor girl squirm in embarrassment.

XXX

Kitty yawns lazily from her branch high above Cerise's pack and lays her head on her arms. She watches languidly as Cerise eats her portion of the pack's latest kill. She really has become the wolf. Her human side is buried deep within her, probably nursing it's hurt. Kitty has been watching her all week. Teleporting here and back to Ever After High as necessary. At night, Cerise's father comes out and joins the pack. He seems very concerned about his daughter, but only meets her in wolf form. Perhaps this is how Cerise copes. Kinda like Maddie getting small.

'People are weird,' Kitty thinks to herself as she absentmindedly swats at one of her ponytails. 'Time and again I have been called cold, but I'm not cold! I just don't see any reason to get over-emotional about things I can't do anything about. Why do I have to openly display my hurts? Just because I do it differently doesn't make me cold.'

Cerise lifts her head. Her yellow eyes flash in the moonlight and blood drips down her chin. She stares up at the tree Kitty is in, so Kitty vanishes and reappears in another tree with just as good a vantage point. The trick is to constantly keep Cerise confused by her scent. To trick the wolves' instinct by constantly moving. The wolf will either think that her scent is everywhere, therefor normal, or will think that there are many of her. Either way, the wolf is confused, and Kitty wants to keep the wolf confused.

Kitty has been watching Cerise since right after the accident. She stayed just long enough to find out Maddie was okay and then slunk away into the forest, after getting the wits scared out of her by a suddenly appearing Raven and Apple, of course, to keep a watchful eye on Cerise. She wanted to spend some nights with Maddie, but Maddie was on Raven detail, so that was impossible. It didn't matter, really. Maddie loves watching feral Cerise just as much as she loves being with crazy Maddie. Both of them are immensely interesting, and, the truth is, she loves them both. Facts do not lie.

The first night, out in the Dark Forest, Cerise lost her cloak. Kitty realized at that point that her poor girlfriend had really become complete wolf. There is no way any part of Cerise would've lost that cloak without turning back to look for it. Kitty grabbed it a little later and stashed it in her room.

Cerise lost her boots and socks soon after that and now her clothes are shredded and dirty. Kitty purrs. The truth is, Kitty doesn't care who Cerise is. She loves everything about her, so she'll love her whether she's a wolf, a girl, or a hybrid of the two. This is the complicated part of Kitty's love. It is incredibly unconditional, and, unfortunately, not exclusive. And, because of her unique situation, she can't do the conventional thing and hide the parts of herself that might hurt someone that she is with. Kitty is what she is.

Kitty pulls out her mirror phone and scrolls through all the pictures she's taken of feral Cerise. She lingers on her favorites. Maybe, someday soon, Cerise could look at these pictures with her, but that will be up to Cerise, because Kitty will never explain and she will never beg.

"Oh Puppy, I do hope you are having fun being the wolf. Perhaps you need something to chase?" Kitty smiles down at Cerise as she slowly disappears and reappears a few paces off from Cerise. Cerise looks up the moment Kitty's scent reaches her nose.

"Boo!" Kitty only has time for that one word. Cerise growls and jumps so quickly that Kitty has to disappear and reappear. further into the forest. Cerise the wolf is so much faster than Cerise the girl.

The game goes like this: Kitty appears as far in to the forest as Cerise can sense. Once Cerise locates her she runs to catch her, but Kitty disappears as she gets closer and appears further off. This game goes on throughout the night. As dawn is approaching both Kitty and Cerise are worn out. Kitty has led Cerise in a giant loop, so that when she is finally tuckered she is back near the pack. Once Cerise finally gives up chasing the cat, she finds a soft place in the underbrush, turns in a circle a few times, lays down and closes her eyes. She is soon snoring quietly.

Kitty has earned her chance. She appears next to Cerise. and puts her arm around the sleeping wolf girl. She caresses her soft cheek and whispers into her exposed ear.

"I love you, Cerise. Please never lose sight of that. I love you like this and I love you how you were. I will love you however you want to be. I will never stop loving you." Kitty leans in and kisses Cerise on the cheek. She rubs her back for a bit and then turns to watch the sun rise.

XXX

Snow returns to campus a week after dropping Apple off at the cottage in order to meet with Daring Charming. She arrives just after the last class of the day and heads to Headmaster Grimm's office. After placating Grimm for a few moments and explaining that yes, Apple was indeed at the cottage and no, she would not leave said place until she's followed her destiny, she kicks him out and waits for Daring.

When Daring enters the office she can immediately tell he is a broken man. Snow's heart swells with pride knowing that it was her daughter that brought this mighty man to his knees.

"Daring Charming, it is wonderful to see you! Come, sit, and tell me how everything is going with my future son-in-law!" Snow motions to the chair sitting in front of the desk.

"Your Majesty." Daring gives a bow before he sits. Snow White continues to smile at him while keeping silent. She can sense the nervousness coming from the boy. She can feel him squirm under her gaze, which makes her smile all the more. "Your majesty, everything has gone off the rails. Your daughter… your daughter… is…"

"I'll stop you there sweetie, my daughter has had a little bit of a hiccup in her destiny, which is being sorted now. I'm not concerned with that. What I am concerned with is the fact that you are her prince and didn't protect her. You are the strongest and the bravest boy I know, every bit a perfect match my little Apple. What happened? What was it that sent you astray from your sworn duty to protect your one true love? She is your one true love, right?" Snow stops and allows him to respond. knowing he'll respond just as he should.

"I love Apple White more than anybody. I've failed in my duties and I've let my destiny down." Daring looks down at his feet.

"Well good, it seems that you are still on-board. Now that I know I can count on you to do what is right for Apple, I want to speak with you about Raven Queen. It seems she's also had a hiccup in fulfilling her destiny. Apparently due to some meddling by Cupid?"

"Yes. She and Apple… Anyway, I'm not quite sure I can do anything about Raven Queen." Daring spits out Raven's name with venom.

"Daring, sweetie, it's not very charming to be so angry. Raven is a victim. Unfortunately, it does leave us in a bit of a bind. I don't see any way that she can perform her part of the ceremony, so, I'm open to suggestions."

"I'm glad you've brought that up. I've actually been thinking a lot about that and I think I have a perfect candidate to take Raven's place. How about Faybelle Thorn?"

"Now why would you recommend her? She's not an easy sort to deal with, but I'm sure she would give anything to get you to make that suggestion. Are you planning something behind Apple's back with the daughter of the Evil Fairy?" Snow White watches Daring's response intently.

"Of course not, Your Majesty." Daring looks up and to the right, seems to find something interesting on the ceiling for a moment, and then looks back at her. Snow can tell he is lying.

"I had someone else in mind. A match I think would be hexcellent!" Snow White brings her hands together in excitement.

"Who?" Daring sits up in his chair. A bead of sweat rolls down his forehead.

"Cloe Fate. She would be a wonderful villain for my little Apple! She's fashionable in the most evil way, and she has tattoos! Of spider webs! Don't you think she'd be wonderful, Daring?"

"Of course. I think she's a great candidate." Another bead of sweat rolls down Daring's forehead.

"Perfect!" Snow White stands up and grabs her bag. She walks around the desk and heads to the door, but before she leaves she stops, puts her hand on Daring's shoulder, and leans down to whisper in his ear.

"Did she hurt you - my little Apple? Did she make you love her, worship her, and then abandon you? Did you lose yourself in there, Daring? Did you lose yourself in those blue eyes? Are you filled with hate and loss? I know she hurt you. She is a White, and the next in line to be queen. She will destroy all who get close to her, but you could still have her, Daring. Not her heart, of course, but her body. You can still scrape a hollow victory out of this. You can be a Daring Charming worthy of the tale! Good luck Daring. It's always hard to play with fire." Snow pulls her hand off Daring's shoulder and heads to the door.

"Your majesty. She did hurt me. She tore me to shreds. But I can put this together. Apple and I have been planning our destiny for years, if I could just talk to her, I could get through to her. She needs someone her age to persuade her and I know how she thinks. If I can convince her then the ceremony can go smoothly, except, of course, the fact that my kiss won't wake her. Let me talk to her. Please?"

Snow stops and brings her hand up to her chin. "Okay, Daring. I think that's a good idea. You should talk to her. I'll send a car for you tomorrow morning. But a word of warning. If you try to take her away from the cottage, you will not live long. Trust me when I say that. Oh, and don't worry about the Apple. We will make sure the next one that poisons Apple, will be made to allow you to wake her up." Snow gives a slight wave and heads out the door.

Daring, finally alone, starts shaking uncontrollably and runs his hands through his hair. Then, he reaches down to grab Headmaster Grimm's trashcan, and vomits into it.


	17. Chapter 15

**Madeline Hatter's Secret Garden**

Madeline Hatter leaves Raven's room and hums happily to herself as she walks down the hallway and admires the late morning sun streaming in through the large windows. Her poor friends are all fractured, scared, and confused, but for the next few hours she's not going to think about that. The next few hours are for her.

All the sounds of a lovely fall day hit her as she leaves the dorms. The angry shouts from bookball practice, the tired shuffle of the night-owl students just waking up and moving around. Hushed conversations under shady trees, and the ever present sound of leaves blowing in the wind.

She walks through all of this, waving and smiling to everyone she passes, until she makes it to Wonderland Grove. The entire atmosphere changes as she walks under the archway. Even the taste of the air is wonderlandiful. Bunny and Alistair are busy playing chess in a gazebo that wasn't there the last time she was here. They both give her a wave. She waves and smiles while continuing on her way. She goes down a path that ends at a brick wall.

Once at the wall, she pulls off her hat and reaches inside, rooting around until she finds what she is searching for. She pulls out a small cake, takes the tiniest bite imaginable, then puts it back in her hat and waits. She stands quietly, her hands clasped behind her back, and rocks from her heels to her toes. Her entire body seems to hiccup and she shrinks down to about four inches tall. She climbs through the underbrush until she reaches the brick wall. She reaches into the pocket of her dress and pulls out a piece of blue chalk. She draws a wavy door on the brick and waits for it to manifest. Once it does she greets the knob, who mumbles back a reply in a bored fashion, and then twists his nose to open the door.

She steps happily into her secret garden and greets the sleepy flowers. Bread and butterflies circle around the flowers and she sends them a radiant smile. She heads further into the garden, back into a place that only two people know about, and picks the perfect spot.

Once again Madeline pulls off her hat and fumbles around in it. She pulls out a picnic basket and a blanket. She lays out the blanket and pulls out a fresh pot of tea and two cups. She stares deep into the forest around her. A leaf, as big as she is blows down on top of her and she can't suppress her giggles. She falls back on her back and hides under the leaf. The smell of the forest envelopes her and the sunlight is died a brilliant orange. So Madeline turns on her side and pulls herself into a fetal position. The sun warms her skin and her eyes grow heavy.

Just as she starts to fall asleep she sits up, letting the leaf fall off of her, and calls out.

"Come on, Kitty. Come have some tea." Maddie pours tea into both cups as Kitty appears just on the edge of the clearing, far enough away to be out of Maddie's touch. "Come on, Kitty. Come join me. Nobody will bother us here. It is our special place, remember."

"I didn't do anything wrong. It's not my fault. I won't say I'm sorry. I didn't even know." Kitty paces back and forth, getting tantalizingly close to Maddie, but stays just out of reach.

"I didn't ask you to apologize, Kitty. This is beyond all of our control. It's not anybodies fault, it just is. Only a fool tries to change facts. Come over here." Maddie pats the spot on the blanket next to her.

"I didn't want to hurt anybody. Especially not you." Kitty walks just out of arm reach of Maddie and flops down on the ground all purple dress and pigtails.

"Cats." Maddie sighs, stands up and pulls the blanket, tea and all, over to kitty, then lays down beside her. Kitty's eyes show that she is ready to bolt, but she cautiously stays put while Maddie lays down.

Maddie turns on her side and stares over at Kitty, whose mouth is set stubbornly as her eyes lock to the sky, refusing to look over at Madeline. Maddie reaches over and caresses Kitty's cheek. The cat girl responds by rubbing her face on Maddie's hand. After a few seconds she is purring happily.

Madeline can't hold back her tears. They break with a small sob. Kitty still refuses to look at her.

"I'm so happy, Kitty. I'm happier than I have ever been. I never thought I would touch you like this again. I thought I'd lost you, Kitty, and with you, all the happiness in my life. I'll be honest, when I looked up and saw that I was about to be crushed by a mirror I was happy. I was ready for the end. But now, here with you, I have been given my life back. I love you, Kitty. I've always loved you." Madeline caresses and weeps.

"And I love you, Madeline Hatter. Maybe I always did and I was just too scared to test it. What if I thought I loved you and then killed you when we transported? How would I live with myself?" Kitty finally turns to Maddie and runs her hand along Maddie's cheek. Madeline melts under her touch. "But Madeline, about Cerise—"

"Stop, Kitty. I don't need any explanation. I know you love her too. You are who you are and there is no way you can hide that. I accept you completely, as you are, and I do not doubt your love for me one bit. You are safe here, Kitty. You will always be safe here." Maddie cuddles up closer to Kitty and seeks out her lips with her own.

These lips, thin and delicate. Lips she never thought she would touch again with her own. The sound of Kitty's dress, pushing against her own in reaction to the kiss. Kitty's shoulders, her back, her neck, Kitty's everything! Here at last! The two, so tender moments before, are suddenly consumed with desire they can't control. Memory merges with now as Madeline remembers nights and days with Kitty. All the things they've done layer over this moment. Hands down blouses and up under skirts. The slow deduction of clothes. Lips and tongues and Kitty slowly builds Maddie up and takes her to that special place only she can. Madeline shivers and shakes and wraps her arms around this girl she loves more than anything.

This is Maddie's secret garden.

XXX

She knows this scent. She's known it forever. Did she know this scent as a child? No, it is older than that. Ancient. This scent comes from the before time. It is the cause of the now time. It signaled the end of the world. The break down of the above ground.

Everyone is used to the scent, so it doesn't bother anyone when it comes close. The scent is love and the scent is pain. The scent is there when she runs, tracking down the beast. The scent is there when she pounces and tears the beast to pieces. The scent is there when she ingests the flesh of the beast and takes the beast's power.

The scent is faster and stronger than her. The scent is always one step ahead. It plays with her at night and cuddles with her as the sun comes up. The scent must be loved and destroyed. She must catch the scent, Follow it somewhere, but the scent only leads to pain. Something inside her knows that to follow the scent will lead to answers, but the answers will hurt.

So she tries to ignore the scent, but whenever it is around she can't help but follow it, especially looking forward to those morning times, when she is too tired to attack and the scent wraps around her and cuddles her.

How could this scent be bad? How could it's touch be so tender if it meant her harm? What are these answers she is hiding from? Slowly, the questions increase as she hunts daily with the pack and then plays with the scent at night and lets it near her in the mornings. Every small caress speaks of love. The scent loves her, there is no question, so why can't she follow it?

Eventually curiosity gets the best of her. She takes her leave as the pack is starting the days hunt and follows the scent. It leads in so many criss-crossing directions that it is almost impossible to figure out where it is coming from or going. She has never followed a scent quite like this. A scent that disappears completely and reappears in another place, but she is able to figure it out. The trail leads towards the place the pack doesn't go.

She follows the scent further and further into the forbidden forest and with every step more things come to her. For instance. The scent is called Kitty. It is so much more than a scent. It is Kitty, and she is so much more than a wolf. She is called Cerise.

Slowly, the trail leads Cerise back to Ever After High and the closer she gets, the more the wolf releases it's hold and allows the girl back in. Maddie almost died. She was so scared for Maddie. Maddie is one of her best friends and she almost died. Maddie is one of her best friends and she was kissing Kitty. Kitty is hers! Maddie was kissing Kitty and Kitty is hers. Cerise stops and shakes her head, trying to sort everything out. She is tired. Her arms and legs are on fire and her head aches terribly. She stumbles forward, following the scent. She can hear students over at the school.

Cerise's vision tunnels and warps as she heads down the path and her legs start to shake. She leans on a nearby tree for support and tries to catch her breath. Her mind is screaming and she lets out a groan. She has never felt a headache like this. The physical pain numbs the mental pain so she staggers forward. Trying to get to the school. Trying to become the girl again so the wolf can take a rest.

She pushes on, hoping she can find Kitty, or Maddie, or raven, or any of her friends. Anyone that can take her somewhere she can lay down and let this pass. Her vision tunnels even further, until she is staring at the world through two pinholes. Her head spins and finally, merciful blackness takes over.

XXX

Maddie and Kitty are laying beside each other hand in hand, with the leaf Maddie had played with earlier covering them. The both look up to the sky when they realize that the narrator has returned to them.

"Hello, Narrator!" Maddie waves up at the sky.

"Hello, Maddie, Kitty. I'm sorry to interrupt your bliss, but I must break the rules once more and warn you that Cerise has come back to herself and is passed out at the entrance to the dark forest without her cloak."

"Thank you kind Narrator!" Maddie turns to Kitty and gives her a kiss. "Go get our girl, Kitty. Oh! And Kitty, take her to my room to rest. You aren't really going to be able to talk to her. I'll give you guys some time and head back. Hopefully I can make her understand."

Kitty scootches out from under the leaf and gets dressed. Maddie watches appreciatively. Once she is dressed Kitty leans down, gives Maddie a kiss and slowly disappears…

…and reappears in her room. She pulls a small pastry out of her pocket and nibbles the corner. Once she is back to her size she heads to her wardrobe and pulls out Cerise's hood.

XXX

Cerise wakes to the sound of someone approaching her. She opens her eyes and a blurry kitty appears. She is all purple until she wraps Cerise in her own cloak, all red. Red Riding Hood. Big Bad Wolf. Sometimes Red, sometimes Wolf. Always both. Cerise lets out a sigh as Kitty cuddles her into the cloak and pulls her into her lap. Maddie. Mad, Mad, Mad, Madeline. Cerise should be screaming and punching Kitty. Should be yelling at her. Why did Kitty do this? Why did she drag her into this?

But all of that would have to wait, because all she wanted right now was to be wrapped in Kitty's embrace. To have the girl of her dreams holding her and taking care of her. She wanted this to last forever, because when the screaming and the questions happened, it would all be over.

"Keep your eyes closed, Puppy, and don't open them until I tell you to."

Cerise nods her head. A gust of wind blows around her, gentle and soft. It smells of kitty. Cerise's relaxes into Kitty's arms as the wind dies down and she is in a comfortable bed. Her head falls back onto the pillow. Covers are pulled up around her and Kitty gets in beside her. Cerise wraps herself around Kitty and falls asleep to the sound of purring.

XXX

When she wakes up again it is night outside and Kitty is gone. She is alone in what smells like Madeline's bed. She feels around until she finds a light and flicks it on. The brightness sends shards of pain into her head, so she reaches up and turns the light around, dimming it in the process. she turns on her side and brings her knees up to her chest. Part of her was hoping that Kitty would still be her when she woke up. Another part of her was hoping to never see Kitty again. Both parts of her hurt.

Cerise can still smell Kitty on her. She hadn't left long ago, ten minutes at the most. Perhaps she had faded out when Cerise started stirring in her sleep. Either way she is gone now. Cerise inhales Kitty's scent and thinks about their first kiss. She thinks about the unique way Kitty sees the world. Cerise wants to kiss some more. She wants to listen to the crazy philosophies that Kitty spins. She wants all of it and she wants all of it to herself.

Something hard keeps poking Cerise in the back so she turns over to see what it is. There, on the pillow next to her, is a book. Cerise picks up the book and looks it over. It is very old and smells incredibly musty. "A History of the Cheshires," is embossed on the front. Cerise's curiosity is piqued. There is a purple ribbon in the book, marking a specific page, so Cerise opens to the that page. The book immediately begins talking to her. The sound is piercing, so she half plugs her ears to lower the volume.

"If you want to win a war, seek out the Cheshire, for her power is the strongest known in this land. Inevitably, the side that the Cheshire chooses, always wins. This was true in the great bandersnatch wars, this was true during the White Queen's rise to power, and the Red Queen's as well, and this was true, of course, in the war against Alice.

Perhaps even more interesting, the Cheshire cat will only help the person with whom she is in love. It is extremely ill-advised to try and force a Cheshire to use her magic against her will. For example, trying to grab onto a Cheshire while she transports will lead to an early demise. The cat can only transfer with the person who is her true love, everyone else will perish."

Cerise's breath catches in her throat as she remembers the first time she teleported with Kitty. Kitty must've already loved her at that point. She was lucky! If Kitty hadn't loved her she would've died!

The book is still babbling on, so Cerise slams it shut in order to be alone with her thoughts. Unfortunately, that isn't in the cards for her, because there is a knock at the door just after she slams the book and a few moments later Maddie comes in and sets at the foot of the bed.

"You read the part I marked in the book?"

Cerise nods her head.

"I wanted you to understand about Kitty, before we had our talk. She is in an interesting position, as you can tell from the book. She cannot lie about who she is. She can't pretend to love someone and she can't pretend not to love someone. Her love has a direct and physical measuring stick. I'm sorry, Cerise. I should've told you about this when you first talked about Kitty to me, but I was too wrapped up in my own hurt at losing her, so I thought it would be better to just let the two of you fall in love and be happy." Maddie lets out a sigh and looks out the window.

Cerise thinks back to the night they were all hanging out and playing video games and how cold Raven and Maddie had been when Cerise asked about Kitty and suddenly everything makes sense.

"How long have you loved her, Maddie?" Cerise scoots up into a sitting position on the bed.

"Oh, Cerise. I have loved Kitty since we were children. My entire life has been falling in love with Kitty." Maddie turns to Cerise and smiles, her eyes filled with tears. Cerise is struck with how elegant her normally annoyingly insane friend looks. How elegant and how beautiful. She gives her head a shake, trying to get that ridiculous thought out of her head.

"And you were just willing to let her go so she could be with me."

"What choice did I have. The Ceshires can't lie about who they love. The moment you off-handedly reported that you had transported with Kitty, it was all over for me. I'd been trying to transport with Kitty for years and it broke Kitty's heart every time she had to tell me no." A few tears spill down Maddie's cheeks and again Cerise can't help but notice how beautiful this version of Maddie is. So deep, so raw, and open. Cerise shakes her head again. 'what the hell am I doing noticing how beautiful Maddie is while she's crying in front of me!'

"Hex it, Maddie. I wish you would've told me! I'm the one that should be apologizing. You have loved her so much longer than I, what right did I have to step in-between you two. You were obviously with her first." Cerise leans over and gives her friend a hug.

"What does first have to do with it?" Maddie looks confused.

"Well… You were in love with her first. As your friend I should have stayed away." Cerise looks down at her lap.

"What the hex are you talking about? Who cares who is first! She loves you! She teleported with you!"

"Well, she teleported with you as well!" Cerise throws up her hands in frustration. Why can't Madeline understand what she is saying? It seems pretty obvious and honorable to her. In fact, it hurt like hell to say it. The last thing she wants to do is give up Kitty, but staring into Madeline's eyes and seeing the years of love made her realize that Kitty already belonged to Maddie.

"Kitty doesn't belong to anyone. And if you don't want to give her up then don't." Maddie states this so matter of factly, that Cerise almost misses the fact that Maddie is responding to things she thought, not things she said. Almost.

"Wait, did you just read my mind?"

"No, I listened to the narrators." Maddie picks at the quilt covering Cerise. Cerise rolls her eyes at Maddie's response.

"So, you are saying that I shouldn't stop fighting for Kitty." Cerise asks. Madeline nods her head in the affirmative. "So you are willing to let her go?"

"Oh no. I will never let Kitty go. As long as Kitty will have me, I will be with her."

"Well than what in Grimm's name are we supposed to do! I'm trying to be honorable here!" Cerise throws her hands up in frustration again.

"Gods, these Ever Afters. You are completely dancing around the obviousness of this situation. Your honor code isn't helping you in any way Cerise, it is blocking who you are. You rebel against tradition, but mire yourself in traditional thoughts… Sorry, I'm getting off track. Kitty can only transport with those that she shares true love, right?" Maddie pinches the bridge of her nose in vexation as she speaks.

"Yes… Wait, are you suggesting that we share Kitty?" Cerise can't believe what she is hearing.

"Think of it how you want! The facts are, Kitty is in true love with both of us. This has been proven by the fact that she has transported both of us. So, I see no reason why we both can't be in love with her. It is who Kitty is, there is nothing we can do to change that." Maddie leans forward, hoping a closer proximity to Cerise will make her understand.

"But, love is supposed to be just two people." Cerise leans back, as far away from Maddie as she can get.

"I can't really argue this with you Cerise, because you are being completely illogical. If we were guessing at Kitty's feeling we could have this conversation. We could sit around and wonder exactly which one of us she really loves, but we don't need to do that in this case because Kitty has already proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt that she loves both of us."

"But… How? What are the logistics? How would we…" Cerise shakes her head, trying to shake out all the random images that suddenly pop into her mind.

"We'd figure it out. That's all we can do is figure it out. And speaking of figuring it out, you need to decide what you are going to do. You have all the facts. You may be a one woman girl, but Kitty is not. She can't hide who she is. The question is, is your love for her strong enough for you to break your morals, or is it too weak to accept her the way she is. Either way it is up to you and none of us will think of you any less for whatever you choose. This is a new love for you, you still have a choice. I do not." Maddie places her hand on Cerise's knee. Cerise stares down at her lap. "And Cerise, I am so glad that you are safe and back with us. I missed you and so did Raven, which, by the way, I need to catch you up with a bunch of stuff about her and Apple, but that can wait until tomorrow." Maddie squeezes Cerise's knee.

"I'm so glad you are okay, Maddie." Now Cerise's tears come. "I was so scared when I saw that mirror coming for you and I was so ashamed that I couldn't make it to you in time. I feel awful about everything! Here I am worried about my first real girlfriend and you almost lost your life!" Cerise pulls Maddie into a hug.

"Don't feel bad, Cerise. I'm here now and I'm happy. I'm happy you are back and I'm sorry for the hard decisions you have to make." Maddie says all of this into Cerise's shoulder. The two girls hold each other and cry. After a while, Maddie turns her face, finds Cerise's ear and continues talking, her voice low and sultry. "Another thing to consider as you make this decision is that after awhile, once we all get comfortable, you and I could—"

"Stop! Too fast, too fast!"


	18. Chapter 16

**Hello everyone! So I have been quite prolific these past two days! I just wanted to let you know that I posted a chapter last night and now I'm posting this one, so if you didn't read the last chapter about Kitty, Maddie, and Cerise please go back one and read it. If you have read it already, enjoy this new chapter. I have to admit, I'm having a lot of fun with Snow White in this one. Please leave me a review, they make all of this worth it!**

 **A Fairy Tale**

Daring watches the tress pass by his window as Snow's limo takes him to Apple. At the first gate they took Daring's mirrorphone and now he's not quite sure what to do with himself. He's nervous. Energy courses through his veins and his head is spinning, so he does the only thing he can in these circumstances, he breathes in and out slowly and keeps a calm exterior. Now is not the time to be nervous. Everything must run smooth and quiet, just as he and Faybelle planned.

The trees fly past in a yellow orange haze and Daring lets his vision blur. Nothing is what it seems. Poor Faybelle. He'd kept his side of the bargain and mentioned her as a possible replacement for Raven's part in the Snow White fairytale, but it won't do any good. Snow just doesn't trust Faybelle. Daring wonders if Cloe will accept Snow's offer to become the next villain. He lets out a small chuckle. None of it will matter soon.

The car pulls into a clearing and comes to a stop. Daring looks around. He's never been this far into the Enchanted Forest before and he makes a mental note of everything around him. This is the place he would've finally completed his fairytale. This is where he would have dashed in and saved Apple White. Nothing is as it seems. The driver gets out and opens Daring's door.

"The cottage is about twenty yards into the forest in that direction. Just follow the trail." The driver points to the trailhead and waits for Daring to get out of the car.

"Thank you… and you'll wait here for me?" Daring steps out of the car, making sure to grab the picnic lunch he's brought.

"Yes Sir, just come back here when you are done. I'll be waiting."

Daring gives him a nod and heads for the trail. The cottage is just outside of the clearing, less than a minutes walk. The forest is relatively open here and nothing as enchanting as he expected. Just a regular forest. Daring tries to ignore his fear. He tries to ignore his heart trying to beat it's way out of his ribcage. Breath in, breath out. Stay clam.

Apple is sitting on the porch, her arms crossed on the railing with her head resting on them, looking positively bored. Daring pauses for a moment and stares at his princess before she notices him. Her beautiful eyes, her lovely hair. How could anyone get over Apple White? She is the most ethereal and elegant maiden he has ever known. How is he supposed to just give up? His love for her is boundless and completely one-sided, but somehow the fact that his love is unrequited makes perfect sense. Apple is to perfect to love another. She was made to be worshipped. Daring walks up to the porch. The minute Apple sees him she jumps up and runs up to him. For just a moment, Daring feels like they are back to the way it used to be, when Apple was so excited about their story.

"Daring, hex am I glad to see you!"

"Hello Apple. Your mom let me come up here to see you. I was hoping we could talk." Now that he is in her presence he feels his bravery slip. He'd forgotten how lovely she is. Had forgotten her smile and her charm. He'd forgotten just how much he loves her.

"We will have lots of time for talking, look I need you to help me, I can't seem to get away from this cottage!" Apple grabs his hands.

"What are you talking about, Apple. The car is right over there, it took me less than a minute to walk here. You can see it just over that hill." Daring points in the direction of the car.

"What! That's not possible! It took me hours to get here!" Apple marches off towards the hill with Daring in tow. At the top of the hill they both stare into nothing but deep, dark, forest. True, enchanted forest. Scary, dark, forbidding forest. The kind of forest he had expected.

"What the hex! This wasn't here before!" Daring turns his head to the cottage then back to the forest.

"Well, it looks like I am cursed to stay here." Apple lets out a sigh. She looks so defeated. The two of them walk into the forest. The silence is heavy between them, filled with the knowledge that it is his fault that she is stuck in this place. The past drags behind them. All the things they know about each other, all the wrongs they have caused, the fights, the fun, but more than anything else, the fairytale. Without it, they really have nothing in common, just a history that binds them loosely together.

The forest is just as beautiful as it is scary. This is a place of magic. A place for lovers and curses. The trees twist and bend, some of them look like they have angry faces. After they've walked for a good ways they come to a clearing in the forest. Daring looks around and decides this is the perfect spot.

"I have so much I need to do. I can't be stuck here now. Everybody needs me back at school. Do you know any way out?" Apple looks up at Daring her eyes pleading.

"I brought some food. I thought we could have a picnic." Daring can't answer her question so he doesn't even try. He's not even sure how any of this magic works. Daring sighs, lays out a blanket on the forest floor, and sits down on it. Apple stands and stares out into the forest, then reluctantly joins him on the blanket. Daring is busy unpacking his picnic basket. Sandwiches, drinks and two beautiful red gala apples. If you are going to have a picnic with Apple White, you've got to bring Apples.

"Daring, I should have done this a long time ago, and now is as good a time as any seeing I am trapped here… can we have a talk? Can we be honest with each other for just a minute?" Apple stares down at the galas and picks up the redder of the two. She takes a deep breath and looks Daring in the eye. "I'm sorry, Daring. I'm sorry for the way I've treated you since school started and I'm sorry how I treated you in the past." Apple is speaking slowly, trying to pick the right words. She rubs her apple on her skirt.

"Don't apologize, Apple. Be mean. Be cruel and manipulative. Be anything you like. But Apple White should never have to apologize. You are the fairest in the land. You are the perfect queen. You are made perfect. So never apologize to me again." Daring picks up the other apple and stares down at it.

"Oh Daring. Please believe me when I tell you, this is not who we are. All of our childish beliefs about fairytales and destiny were force fed to us, but it's not how it has to be. The reader wants a new story." Apple raises her eyes, crystal blue.

"The reader wants… what are you talking about? Childish beliefs? No, Apple, you've got this all wrong. The thoughts you are having now are childish. You must get rid of this unhealthy… obsession with your villain. It's not normal. Come back to me Apple, I can do better! I can be a better prince charming. I was lax before, I promise you, I will be better." Daring takes a bite from his apple.

"First off, Raven is not my villain, she is the love of my life. Second, don't do this to yourself Daring! Become the boy you were when we first me. The boy I made you bury under all of this destiny talk! Remember him? The boy who loved to read? The boy who was afraid of dogs…" Apple stops speaking with the look Daring gives her.

"That boy is dead, Apple, we killed him together. I'm glad he's dead. we made him into a much better person. A person worthy of your love. A person worthy of the Charming name… I still love you Apple." Daring throws his arms around Apple but she squirms and fights his embrace. "Cupid can fix your obsession for maidens and when she does you'll realize that we are perfect together! We are made for each other. I'm the only one who truly knows you, Apple. I'm not like everyone else, only interested in the cute and constantly happy Apple White, I know the manipulative and ambitious girl you are and that is who I love! You don't have to hide. Let Cupid bring back the Apple I know and love!" Daring tries to keep a hold on her but her struggles become painful. She eventually pushes him down, tears in her eyes, with her apple held over her head, ready to throw it down on him. Daring puts his hand up, blocking his face. "Yes! This is who you are Apple! You dominate those around you. You make things go the way you think they should. Throw the apple, Apple. Throw it at me. Keep me on my toes, hurt me, hate me, love me, just please, don't ignore me. I don't know who I am without you." Daring and Apple stare at each other, but the hard glint in Apple's eyes slowly softens. She brings her hand down and sits back down.

"Daring, you don't love me. You're addicted to my childish need for control." Apple looks down at the beautiful fruit in her hand. The fruit that she is named for.

"Apple, let me prove I'm the one for you. I can prove it!" Daring gets up on his knee.

"How would you prove that, Daring?" Apple takes a bite of her apple.

"Easy. Now that you've taken a bite of that Apple." Daring gives Apple a truly evil smile.

She swallows and feels the familiar feeling of the Apple sticking in her throat. She tastes the rotten tainted magic.

"Da…Daring…" She manages to choke out.

"This Apple will prove it, my love. See, this one is made in the old style. Only your one true love can wake you from this curse. I'll prove it is me when I wake you up. This time we don't have to do it publicly, will do it right here, just the two of us, and when you wake up to me you'll know I'm the one for you."

Apple falls on her back and grabs at her throat, writhing across the blanket. Tears stream down her face.

"It… Hurts…" She wheezes.

Daring backs away. He hadn't expected that this would be so painful. It was always described to him in a much more delicate way. She would faint quietly and beautifully, not writhe and seizure.

"…Raven… Please… Raven." Apple holds her hand out to Daring as her eyes roll back to the whites. She lets out a final choke and her arm falls limply to her side. A thick ooze of black liquid leaks from the corner of Apple's mouth and runs down her cheek. Daring's breathing is heavy and his hands cover his mouth in horror. Apple looks horrible, her hair splayed over her face and all around her, her eyes half open showing only whites, this is not what he had expected.

A small fear creeps into Daring's mind. Perhaps Faybelle had screwed up. Maybe she made the apple too strong. Perhaps… they had killed Apple White. This thought spurs Daring into action. He drops down to Apple and checks her pulse. Nothing. Still, the curse was supposed to make her seem dead, so there is no way to really know.

"No, no, no, no, please, Apple. I'm sorry. I take it back. Please don't be dead." And finally, the tears come. The tears that seemed to always threaten but never actually came. Daring cries as he pushes Apple's hair off her face and closes her eyes. He cries as uses the edge of the blanket to wipe the slime off her cheek. He cries as he bends down and kisses her beautiful lips. Nothing.

"Please, Apple, wake up. I'm sorry, please wake up." He leans in and kisses her again. Oddly, the kiss feels exactly like it did when he had kissed her when she was alive. And he's the little boy again. Laying on the ground in shame, terrified of the dog. He's always been that boy and he will always be that boy.

So Daring does what any small, terrified, boy would do, he runs. He runs as far away from Apple as he can. The trees whip past him and now they seem to be closing in on him. All of them have faces and each one is a witness to his terrible crime. Each one judging him. He runs fast, hoping he can outrun the image of Apple's cold dead body. The girl he loves. The girl he killed. He runs, and before he knows it, he is out on the road. The car is up ahead and the driver is sitting in the front seat, reading a book.

Daring forces himself to slow to a walk and calm his breathing. His hands are shaking uncontrollably so he puts them in his pockets. The driver get out of the car and opens Daring's door.

"Hope everything went well, Sir."

"Thank you, it did not go well at all, but I will make my full report to Snow." Daring gets in the car, sits down and tries to keep himself from shaking.

"Of course, Sir." The driver closes his door and they are off. Daring wonders how long it will take the dwarves to find Apple White. He wants to weep. He wants to scream out what he has done. It's like a weight pressing down on him. A weight that is crushing him.

XXX

Snow is just about to sit down to her dinner when her phone rings. She had promised herself she was going to ignore all calls for the rest of the evening, but this is from the cottage. She looks over at her poor worthless husband, but he isn't even looking at her. He is staring ahead, lost in thought, just like always.

"I'm sorry, my Darling, but I must take this call." She swipes the screen and puts the phone up to her ear. Her husband doesn't even turn to look at her or acknowledge that she had even spoken.

"Snow White." Snow sing songs into the phone. "What?… Daring did?… Why?… Is she okay? Oh thank Grimm… Yes, prepare her, I'll figure it out on my end." Snow face goes paler than normal as she hangs up the phone. Apple has been prematurely poisoned by her own Prince Charming. Snow bites her thumbnail, trying to control her anger as she paces back and forth. Why won't people just do what she says? Everyone claims that she is the fairest in the land and the most honorable ruler Ever After has ever seen, but they refuse to listen to her. Snow wants to break things, particularly Daring, but she can't let these emotions out, so she runs over to the pincushion, pulls out a pin and shoves it deep into her thigh. The pain is exquisite and she imagines all of the anger flowing out of the hole in her leg as she slowly pulls the pin out. Once the pin is out she gingerly places it back in the pincushion and forces a smile back on to her face.

"There! Enough of that negativity." She says to herself as she heads back into the dining room.

"Darling, I've just had the worst news." Snow sits in the chair next to her Prince Charming and pouts.

"What was the news?"

"Daring has gone off and poisoned Apple." Snow says quietly.

"Why are you telling me?"

"What do you mean why am I telling you? Our daughter has been poisoned." Snow playfully slaps her husband on the arm.

"You are acting like you want me to say or do something, which I know isn't true. But I will humor you and pretend I have a say in anything that goes in this household, or in any part of Ever After. This is all happening because you keep sticking your nose into Apple's life. You have raised her to be just as obsessed over a silly tradition as you are."

"Oh you silly goose! You know I'm only doing what is best for Apple. I'll make some calls. Leave it all to me." Snow gets up and leaves the room. Her husband rolls his eyes and looks down at his plate. He wants to eat, but it wouldn't be very charming to start without his wife, so waits. His life is made of waiting.

Snow pulls out her phone and calls Headmaster Grimm. He answers on the second ring.

"Your Majesty, to what do I owe the honor of this call?"

"Hello, Headmaster Grimm. I just had some awful news and I was wondering if you could find Daring and confine him as soon as possible." Snow smiles into the phone, because her mother always told her that people can hear a smile.

"What has he done? Is everything okay?" Headmaster Grimm sounds nervous.

"He went and poisoned my little girl!"

"He did what? That buffoon! Is Apple okay?" Real concern. Snow can tell.

"Well, I'm not quite sure where he got the apple, although I would guess Faybelle would be the one to question, but It isn't poisoned the way we poison apples now. It is the old magic. Which means only Apple's true love can wake her, which is definitely not Daring, so we are stuck with a real problem here. More importantly, find Daring before he can talk to anyone. We are in damage control mode now. We don't want this leaking to the press."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will find Daring right away. I'll call you when I have him."

"Thank you headmaster Grimm. Tootles!" Snow hangs up the phone and heads into the dining room.

"Darling, you go ahead and eat without me. I'm just not very hungry this evening. I'm going up to bed." Snow stands for a moment and waits for a reply.

"Yes dear."

Once she's heard his reply she starts up the stairs to her private quarters. She can feel the anger building again, so she consciously represses it.

Once she is in her room she walks quietly over to her bed. Picks up her pillow, covers her face, and screams. She screams and she bites. She gnaws at the pillow in the most undignified manner and falls face first onto the bed. She lays quietly for a few minutes and then sits up and pinches her arm. She lost that round. What an undignified thing to do. She's not used to losing. It's all Daring's fault. She keeps trying to reel everything back in, but new problems keep springing up. Now she has a Prince Charming that has poisoned his Snow White, a villain that wants to fuck her Snow White, and A Snow White that wants her villain to fuck her! How the hell is she supposed to clean up this mess.

"Don't lose it. remain calm." She pinches herself again and takes a few deep breaths. I need to get to sleep. She heads to her mirrored wardrobe and removes her blouse. Her arms, reflected in the mirror, are covered in scars from the elbow up. She runs her hand over the thick bumpy flesh. Each scar, and there are so many she can't even tell them apart, is a battle she has won. Each scar represents a time when she didn't let her self slip. Each scar is a secret symbol of her perfection. Everything comes with a price.

After she has showered and put on her nightgown she rings for her personal assistant. A few minutes later a dwarf enters the room with a golden tray, on which sits beautiful red apple. Snow picks up the apple.

"Thank you so much, James. Please have my husband wake me at exactly five tomorrow morning."

"Understood, Your Majesty." James bows and leaves the room, taking the tray with him. Snow White lays down in bed under her thick covers and takes a big bite of the apple. She smiles at the taste of rotten fruit she has become so accustomed to. She closes her eyes, swallows, and feels the poison run down her throat. She can feel the pain first in her feet and hands. Slowly the paralysis spreads to her limbs and up into her breast. She can feel her heart slow down and the pain is immense. She revels in the pain because the pay off is so good, so wonderful, that she can't go a day without. The pay off is true and total obliteration of ego. For the next eight hours, Snow White will cease to be.


	19. Chapter 17

**Hello readers! This chapter was a hard one! I don't know why but I just couldn't seem to get it right! I want to thank thefanshipdarkhorse for taking the time to give it a pre-read and helping to assuage my fears. I very much appreciate it.**

 **I also want to thank, and give credit to Aya Rose for chatting with me about plot and giving me a more solid direction for Daring. It was a great idea and I think it turned out wonderful! You'll have to let me know what you think.**

 **As always, please review after reading. It honestly makes the writing so much easier when I hear from everyone, especially during the periods when I feel like giving up because the writing just isn't coming as smoothly as normal. Thanks for taking the time to read this! Now, on with the show!**

 **Confessions of an Evil Queen**

Lizzie sits at her desk staring off into space and chewing on the end of her pen. Her desk sits in front of the window which faces the dark forest and her mind wanders off thinking about the well of wonder and all the inspiration she has found there. Her clothes, as always, are immaculate and her room is incredibly tidy. Everything as it should be.

She had been doing her thronework, but then she started thinking about her Wonderlandian friends. It's been too long since she's seen them and that is really her fault. She's pulled away the last couple of weeks and now she is regretting it. It's Daring Charming's fault. She had never really thought about Daring, never even considered him as anything but Apple's narcissistic prince, but suddenly, out of the blue, he'd tried wooing her. She, of course, rebuked him at every turn, but not being to savvy on dating, seeing as how she'd never done it before, he had been able to slip a date in without her even realizing it. By the end she was honored and quite taken with his charming personality, so she'd thanked him, but asked him to keep quiet about it in order to keep her reputation unsullied. She even given him a kiss on the cheek as thanks.

That date had been so surprising, so… off script, that she couldn't get him out of her head. It didn't even really bother her that the entire date had only happened because of a dare from Sparrow and his friends, because It wasn't really the date that had piqued her interest, it was the fact that he had allowed himself to lose the bet in order to keep her reputation safe. What kind of narcissist does that? To actually wash those disgusting undergarments and let his own reputation suffer, all to be kind to her. He wasn't the boy he claimed to be and that caught Lizzie's attention. She suddenly wanted to know who was under the narcissist's smile.

Unfortunately, she hadn't really been prepared for what he revealed. Apple White the manipulator? She had to laugh at the idea, because Apple White is no more a manipulator than she is a bandersnatch. Apple's naivety and insane upbringing definitely give her a propensity towards manipulation, but Apple is too kind-hearted to be really manipulative. She is more like a child playing manipulation. What Daring doesn't realize is that it is not Apple's personality that made him give up everything of himself for her, it is his own. Daring is not brave enough to be who he is, so he gravitates to the strongest female around him (why female she has no idea, perhaps mommy issues) and lets them completely create him.

Lizzie leans back in her chair, closes her eyes, and remembers Daring's kiss. She can still feel his arms around her and it is wonderful. She had been so ready to be his at that moment, until she realized that for Daring, it wasn't about who she was, it was about whomever was willing to tell him what to do. She could've just taken Apple's place and bent him into whatever shape she wanted, but that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted someone she could love. Someone who would love her in her return.

Beyond the part of her that would be queen, beyond the madness that is her (as well as all the Wonderlandians) birthright, Lizzie wants what all girls her age want, someone to be so taken with her that they dream about her constantly, write poetry about her, hang on her every word. In this way Apple is quite lucky in Daring's love for her, as misguided as it is, because it means that someone loves her as she is, warts and all. Lizzie wanted to find that with Daring, but his unique psychology made that impossible. He isn't ready. He needs to see this Apple White nonsense through to it's natural conclusion and figure out he he really is. Only then will he be ready to offer anything of himself to another person.

Oh well, Lizzie sighs, no use in siting around wondering what could've been. Still, she probably shouldn't have gotten so wrapped up in Daring that she ignored her friends. Now it feels hard to find her way back into her friend group.

All the Wonderlandians seem to be branching out here at school. When they first arrived they spent every waking minute together, but now they have mixed in with the Ever Afters and they see each other only in passing.

'Enough!' Lizzie thinks, 'they are my friends. I shouldn't have to feel bad for wanting to see them.' Lizzie grabs her mirrorphone and scrolls down to Maddie's name. She is about to hit the 'call' button when a frantic knocking startles her and she throws her phone.

"Off with my phone!" The words burst out of her mouth before she even has time to think.

"Lizzie, It's me, Daring. Please open the door. I really need to talk to you." Daring sounds really desperate.

""Daring, what are you doing here?" Lizzie opens the door and peeks out while secretly thanking the gods that Duchess is out.

"Can I come in?" Daring looks absolutely panicked. His eyes look hunted and the skin around them is gray and sagging.

"Of course!" Lizzie holds the door open for him and ushers him inside. "What happened, Daring? Is everything okay?"

"Lizzie, I'm going to go to prison. I did something awful!" Daring is pacing back and forth across her room, his hands shaking. He looks like he is about to puke.

"Prison? What did you do?"

"Lizzie… I poisoned Apple White." Daring falls on her bed, smashes his face into her pillow and starts weeping. Lizzie stands above him, shocked and unsure what to do, but only for a moment, she stares a him dumbfounded until her queenly upbringing kicks in. She sits on the bed and rubs the weeping boy's hair.

"Why, Daring? Why did you poison Apple?" She keeps rubbing gently. Alternating between his head and his back.

"I wanted to prove that I could wake her! That we were meant to be! I know it is awful of me, Lizzie, but I still feel she is mine! We've belonged to each other for so long, I just can't accept that it wasn't meant to be! I can't get her out of my head. The thought of her follows me everywhere I go. She is in everything I look at, I constantly hear her voice in my ears and at night, when I close my eyes she is in front of me, her small hand in my mine pulling me along behind her. I'm still following Apple White! If that isn't true love, I don't know what is? So I had Faybelle get me a poisoned Apple, one that poisons so strongly that the sleeper can only be woken by their one true love." Daring breaks down again and cries into Lizzie's pillow, the shame f what he'd done proving to heavy a burden to bear.

"But Daring, why would you do that? Apple is gay. You know that as well as I do. Of course you aren't going to be able to wake her, especially not with a true love apple"

"Because I wasn't ready to give up my fairytale! I liked my destiny and it isn't fair that I have to lose it just because Apple White doesn't like boys! She should've let Cupid fix her or something!" Daring turns on his side and stares up at Lizzie.

"Daring, There is so much wrong with that statement I don't even know where to begin, but we'll leave that for now. You've lost a lot. Unfortunately, you are going to lose a lot more before this is over." Lizzie brushes Daring's hair off his forehead.

"What should I do, Lizzie? What should I do know?"

"I can't really tell you what to do. I can tell you what I would do, but that wouldn't really be helpful right now. You need to do what you think is right. Follow what your heart tells you." Lizzie's hand stops moving through his hair. Something is nagging at the back of her mind, making her apprehensive.

"Please, Lizzie. I'm really stuck here. Tell me what I should do!" Daring whines. The childishness of his attitude finally reveals what is bothering Lizzie. This is it. This is Daring's moment. She's no therapist, but she is pretty sure that he's come to her so that he can fall back into his old patterns, and the the last thing Lizzie wants is to be an enabler. A coldness invades her body. 'If he wants to act like a child, I guess I'll have to treat him like one.' She thinks.

"Come on, Daring. This is a huge crisis and you need to figure out what you will do in this situation. You know, in your heart, what you need to do. Admit it, Daring, you know what you have to do." Lizzie rubs her hand along his cheek.

"No, what do I have to do?" Daring looks up pleadingly into Lizzie's eyes. Lizzie lifts her hand up slightly and slaps Daring lightly on the cheek.

"Daring, what do you need to do. You have to figure this out. I will help you in whatever you choose, but you have to figure out what you need to do in this situation. If you want to run, then you can do that and I will support you, if you want to hide that's fine as well, if you want to turn yourself in then I will support that as well, but I'm not your mother, Daring. I'm not going to be your moral compass. You need to make some decisions for yourself and I know you will make the right choice. Daring, what do you have to do?"

"Lizzie, I don't know, that's why I came here!" Daring looks terrified, as if he's on a sinking boat and he's just been told there are no lifeboats. Lizzie lifts up her hand, much higher now, and slaps him hard across the face.

"Ouch, Lizzie, stop!" Daring brings his hand up to his cheek.

"No, Daring, I won't stop. You will figure this out. You are a baby and you need to learn how to make decisions without someone making them for you. What do you have to do, Daring."

"You're no help at all, I'm going to go find Cerise." Daring pouts and tries to get up, but Lizzie puts her knee on his chest and leans in. She pulls his hand off of his face and slaps him on the cheek. The slap echoes around the room. Daring lets out a yelp and stares up at in Lizzie in shock. His hand goes back up to his cheek and he tries to bring his knees up to his chest. Anything to get her weight off of him.

"What do you have to do Daring?"

"Lizzie, please, just tell me what you want!" Daring is cowering, terrified. Lizzie yanks his hand down and smacks him across the face.

"I think you like this Daring! You like the bully girl, the one who tells you what to do? I can be the bully girl! I'll tell you what I want you to do. I want you to make a decision. I want you to do what your heart tells you. Daring, what do you have to do?"

"I don't know!"

Slap.

"Daring, what do you have to do?"

Daring drops his hands away from his face and gives up on pulling his knees to his chest. He is prone, on his back, defeated.

"I don't know, Lizzie."

Slap.

"This is going to get serious, Daring. Your face will be damaged. What do you have to do?"

"I don't—"

Slap.

"Daring, please. I don't want to keep doing this, but you have to make a decision for yourself. What do you have—" Lizzie lets out a startled scream as she is yanked on to the bed. Before she even has time to react Daring is on top of her pinning her down, his hand around her throat and his fist in the air above her face.

"Stop, Lizzie! I don't know how to make my own decisions! I'm scared! I'm scared of what I've done! I'm scared of mirror prison, but most of all I'm sacred of myself! What the hell is wrong with me?" salty tears drop from Daring's eyes on to Lizzie's cheeks and mingle with her own. A small sob escapes lizzie's lips as she gently lifts her hand and smacks Daring lightly on the cheek.

"What do you have to do, Daring?"

"Hex it, Lizzie! What is wrong with you? You want to know what I have to do? I have to swallow my stupid pride and I have to talk to Raven! Raven is the only one who can save Apple now. Then I have to turn myself in and watch from behind the mirror as my family's reputation is ruined, all the while knowing that I am a horrible person and it is all my fault!" Daring yells, spittle flying uncontrollably from his mouth, then slides down to the floor, covers his face with his hands, and weeps.

Lizzie tries to quiet her own sobs. She leans over and puts her arms around Daring's neck. She kisses his cheek, which is a scary shade of red and purple and is hot to the touch, and nuzzles into his neck.

"Daring, I'm so proud of you, and I will continue to be proud of you while you do what you need to do. Do you understand? I'll support you. I can now say I've seen the real you twice. The first time was when you lost the bet for me, damaging your reputation to save mine. The second time is here, right now. I'm sorry I hit you, Daring. I promise you I will never do it again. I couldn't think of any other way to get you to make a decision for yourself, but now that you have, it will get easier and easier to do." Lizzie kisses Daring's neck and forehead.

"Lizzie, why fight so hard for someone like me. I'm a coward, an idiot, and now, a criminal, plus, I don't even know how I feel about you. I'm ashamed Lizzie. I'm ashamed of who I am and you should be too." Daring grabs Lizzie's hand and interlaces his fingers with hers.

"You don't know how you feel about anyone, because you don't even know who you are. How can you decide who you like and dislike if you don't even know what you like and dislike. Please don't think that I'm helping you now with the hopes that someday we'll be together. That decision can't even be made now. I will support you through this and in the end we might end up being great friends, or we might fall in love. I have no preconceived notions. I just want to help someone who is struggling. Figuring out who you are is a long painful process, so I'll tell you who I think you are. You are a brave, selfless, and truly good man. A man that I could fall in love with over time, and we will have lots of time to get to know each other, once you are in mirror prison!"

Daring let's out an exhausted laugh. "Well, one thing is for sure, we can throw a wrench in Snow White's plans before I get there! Thank you, Lizzie. I feel less scared with you here."

"Of course, Daring. Let's go show everyone how brave you truly are."

XXX

Raven, Maddie, and Cerise are sitting on the long couch in the common room, staring off in to space, trying to think of someway to deal with Apple and Raven's predicament. Blondie, Cloe, and Cupid are sitting on another couch just to left doing the same thing. Kitty, while helpful at first, is now sleeping on the pool table. They've been at it a few hours and the overwhelming problem is that Apple is completely unreachable and nobody knows where she is. It's been about ten minutes since anyone has come up with an idea, when Cerise suddenly sits bolt upright.

"What if we tried to get Briar to go to Snow and ask where Apple is? She's Apple's best friend, so Snow might let her go, just to cheer Apple up." Cerise's eyes are ablaze with excitement at her brilliant idea.

"That's a really good idea, Cerise! We know that Snow White wants Apple's location to remain a secret, but she'll also be worried about her daughter, so she might let a select few visit her! That could totally work." Raven sits up and pulls out her phone. The excitement in the room is palpable. She is just navigating to her contacts when Lizzie Hearts and Daring Charming walk in. Raven nearly growls at the sight of Daring. Everyone else gasps at the sight of Daring's black and blue cheek which has swelled to nearly twice it's size. Daring stops by the door when he sees Raven almost growling at him.

"Raven. I have to tell you something, and it's not going to be easy, but you are the only one that can save Apple now, so I have to swallow my pride and admit what an awful person I've been."

"What did you do, Daring?" Raven spits Daring's name out like it is something dirty.

"I'm afraid that I have been quite… un-charming to Apple White. Please know that I'm going to turn myself in to Headmaster Grimm when I am done here." Daring rubs the back of his head, trying to push through his discomfort and fear.

"Daring, you have two seconds to spit out or I will force it out of you." Raven's hands ignite with purple tendrils of magical flame. Daring put his hands up.

"Okay… Okay… I… poisoned Apple White." Daring looks down at the floor, completely disgusted with himself.

Two things happen simultaneously. Raven is up and trying to get to Daring, and Maddie yells:

"Somebody catch Raven and hold her down!"

Cerise reacts quickest, jumping off the couch and directly onto Raven's back, which brings them both to the ground. Maddie jumps on top of both of them. followed by Blondie. Cloe freezes, unable to figure out what to do as Cupid joins the pile. Kitty wakes up, sees the dog pile in the middle of the room and decides it looks like fun. Of course, it should obviously be a cat pile instead, so she disappears and reappears comfortably on top of everyone, laughing.

"Oh hex! Don't forget her magic!" Maddie screams as a purple light ignites at the bottom of the pile. Cloe brings her hands together and black flames erupt all around her. She pulls what looks like a purple thread between her fingers and crimps it, just as Raven casts a very destructive looking spell. The moment Raven's thread is crimped her spell changes direction and heads for Cloe who takes it, wide eyed and terrified, directly in the face.

Raven watches her spell change direction in midair and hit Cloe and all of her anger drains, leaving behind terror and regret in it's wake. The spell she just cast, well, it's not one anyone could've survived.

"Cloe!" Raven's voice is filled with terror. Everyone stands up, sending an unsuspecting (and happily purring) kitty flying off towards the couches.

By the time they make it to Cloe the purple smoke is just clearing and sitting where Cloe used to be is a tiny gray porcupine.

"Cloe?" Raven asks.

"Yes, it's me." The porcupine responds. Raven's knees give out so she falls softly on her butt in front of the much smaller Cloe.

"But how? How did you do that? I wasn't targeting you and the spell I cast, well it wasn't a transmutation spell, I can tell you that!"

"I changed your fate. Slightly. It was your fate to kill Daring and believe me, that wasn't a fate you wanted, so I changed it, but I had to think fast. The only thing I could come up with was making myself the target, but I also had to make sure that the spell wouldn't kill me, because, well I guess that's pretty obvious, I don't want to die!" Cloe the porcupine says this all very seriously and then turns to look, as does everyone else, at Blondie, who has both of her hands up to her chest, her eyes wide and glossy, her entire body shaking with excitement as if she were about to explode.

"Cloe? Oh my Grimm…" Blondie's face turns bright red as she reaches down and scoops up Cloe. She smiles blissfully as tears start to pour down her face. "You are so hexing cute!" She holds Cloe up so everyone can see her.

"She's definitely cute, Blondie, but why are you crying?" Cupid asks, looking confused.

Because she is also incredibly painful!" Blondie says as she puts Cloe back down and holds up her hands, which are covered in quills.

Raven lets out a giggle as Cerise heads over to help Blondie and then she remembers Daring. She turns to him angrily.

"Daring you idiotic, narcissistic, man child, why did you poison Apple?"

"First off, Raven, I must tell you that part of me wishes that your spell had worked. It would've been just what I deserved. Second, I'm not proud of what I've done, it was a stupid meltdown and it has taught me a lot. I now understand that you and Apple's love is true, which is why—"

"Spit out, Daring!" Raven yells.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. I poisoned Apple White with a true love Apple because I thought I could wake her back up and prove that I was her Prince Charming, That we were meant to be. I'm sorry, Raven." Daring looks back down at the floor and kicks at the edge of the pool table.

"Listen to me and understand this, Daring. Apple White is mine. She. Is. Mine. If you ever interfere with us again, I will kill you. Understand?" Everyone in the room turns to Raven as she speaks.

"Of course, Raven. I'm sorry."

"You said you were going to turn yourself in to Headmaster Grimm right? Now would be a good time to go do that. I would hate to have to turn you in myself." Raven turns her back on him.

"Of course, charm you la—"

"Stop!" Maddie shoots up from the couch where she was comforting a very pouty Kitty. Everyone turns to her. "I know that was an awful place to interrupt, it being all dramatic and everything, but aren't we forgetting something?" Everyone stares at her, confused. Maddie lets out a very dramatic sigh. "Daring knows where Apple is!" Everyone's eyes light up as they turn to Daring.

"Well… Yes. Apple White is at the cottage, where our destinies are acted out." Daring says. Raven's shoulders visibly slump at the news.

"How are we going to get her from there? It's deep in the enchanted forest, in Queen White's lands. Everyone gathers around chatting about how they are going to save Apple. Daring decides this is as good a moment as any and turns to go.

"Daring, wait. I have an idea! I can't really use my magic against the Queen because she'll just warp it and make it look like I'm being evil. In order to win this fight I must consider how things look, that's what Apple told me… My back up plan is the answer! Before Apple was taken we made a video together. That's how we'll get to the Queen and Daring you can help. I just need ten minutes, then you can go to the Headmaster.

"Of course, Raven. What ever I can do." Daring says this, not realizing how awful Raven's idea is. Twenty minutes later and Blondie finally turns off her mirrorpad. Daring is bright red and full of more shame than he ever felt possible. What will his dad think? He'll be disowned. It is so obvious. How could he have missed it. Raven might have a chance! Raven walks over and places her hand on his shoulder.

"For what it is worth, Daring, I know that took a lot. Maybe someday, after you get out of mirror prison you and I can work towards something that resembles friendship once again."

"Thanks, Raven. I… I better get going." Daring stands up and leaves the common room. Lizzie follows after him. The two walk silently all the way to Headmaster Grimm's office. Just outside the door Lizzie takes Daring's hand and stops.

"Let's take just a moment, before we go in."

"I'm such an idiot, Lizzie. Ho could I not have seen what I was doing. I never left Apple's story at all, I just changed roles."

"It's an honorable position to be in, Daring Evil Queen Charming. It is the best villain role in all of Ever After. Other than my own, of course." Lizzie lets out a laugh as she pulls an incredibly pensive Evil Queen Charming to her and kisses him deeply. "Something to remember when you're locked up. Let's go follow your destiny."

Daring holds on to Lizzie just a bit longer, then takes the final few steps, and knocks on Headmaster Grimm's door.


	20. Chapter 18

**Hello readers! I was going to post this last night, but I ended up watching the election polls in shock! Mondays and Tuesdays are very productive writing days for me, so this is the second chapter I've posted in the last two days. If you didn't read about Daring confessing to Raven, please go back and read the last chapter before you read this one.**

 **To all of my LGBT readers: with love, solidarity, and hope, we will continue to move forward! To all the straight Allies: thank you for standing with us, please continue to do so!**

 **And a big thanks to all of you readers! This novel has grown so much bigger than I ever expected! I thought I would be done at Chapter twelve! Thank you for reading and as always, please review!**

 **Learning to Kiss / Defiance**

Blondie sits up and throws her mirrorpad on the bed, then lets out an exasperated sigh. Cupid is out with Dexter, so Cloe is keeping her company today. The black-haired fate witch is doing thronework at Cupid's desk, but she turns around worriedly at Blondie's sigh. Blondie doesn't seem to notice. She just runs her hands through her hair and tries to calm her frustration. She's been editing footage of Raven, Apple, and Daring all morning and it isn't coming out just right.

"What's wrong, Blondie?"

"I can't get this footage the way I want it! These next few weeks I'm going to be releasing the best news stories of my life and I want them perfect." Blondie sits on the edge of her bed and rubs her temples.

"Blondie, if your thread is any indication, these stories are really going to launch you into the public eye. You'll get them right, I promise." Cloe gives Blondie a smile.

"Thanks, Cloe. I know I'll get them eventually, it is just so frustrating!" Blondie gets up and heads over to her desk. She starts ruffling through papers, looking for her original ideas for the segment. Unbeknownst to her, Cloe walks up quietly behind her, holds her hand out, pulls it back, chews on her bottom lip, then gently places her hand on Blondie's back. Blondie, startled by the sudden touch, lets out a yell and jumps to the side. Cloe also jumps and pulls her hand back like a kid who's just been caught stealing from the cookie jar.

"Oh my gods, Cloe, you about made me jump out of my skin!" Blondie turns to Cloe and can't help but laugh at the look on the poor girls face. "Oh, baby, you were trying to comfort me weren't you!" Blondie Pulls Cloe into a hug and rubs her cheek lovingly on Cloe's. Then pulls back, smiles, and stares into Cloe's eyes. Cloe can't maintain the eye contact, so she looks down and starts fiddling with the small lace ribbon that runs through the collar of Blondie's dress and ties in a bow just below her neck.

"I didn't mean to scare you, I was just trying to let you know that you are doing a great job and I'm sure that you will get the footage perfect for your mirrorcast." Cloe rubs the ribbon delicately between her thumb and forefinger. The touch is tender, as if she were touching a part of Blondie. Blondie lets out a giggle when she realizes that Cloe is blushing so hard that it extends all the way to the tops of her ears, which peek out between strands of her dark shoulder-length hair.

"I need a break. Wanna take a walk?" Blondie looks down and tries to catch Cloe's eye, but the other girl just nods. They both stand still, Cloe waiting for Blondie to release her from the hug, and Blondie trying to bring herself to release her adorable girlfriend. She gives a squeeze and reluctantly drops her arms, then takes Cloe's hand and leads her out the door.

The couple walks across campus hand in hand, and into the dark forest. Blondie thrills at the taste of snow in the air and the sounds of leaves crunching under her boots. She revels in the warmth of Cloe's small hand in her own and the marvelous trees that rain yellow and orange across their path. She heads past the bear's house and gives a wave. The bears look like they're just about to rush into their house, but they stop and stare wide-eyed as Blondie walks right on past them, her girlfriend at her side.

She pulls Cloe on about ten minutes past the bear's house and stops next to a dry creek bed. Rye grows up between the trunks of long dead trees and the ground rises gently toward the sky. Blondie can tell Cloe wants a kiss, and Blonde wants it to be just right. Their first kiss, a forgettable peck as chaste as Blondie would give her mother, had been unplanned and therefore, not just right. This time, Blondie wanted it to be perfect.

She expected Cloe would want to move slow, but it seems that isn't the case. Blondie has released a monster! Cloe is unpracticed at physical affection, but she wants it often. Sometimes, when it's just the two of them, Cloe will walk up to Blondie and place her hand on her shoulder, or her cheek, once she laid her hand right on top of Blondie's head, and just let it rest there, giving a squeeze every now and again. During these moments it is near impossible for Blondie not to laugh, but she has become an expert at holding it in. This strange laying on of hands is usually a sign that Cloe is craving intimate attention. During these moments Blondie takes over and hugs her, or holds her hand, but it has been happening a lot more often recently, which is why Blondie thinks that Cloe is trying to psyche herself up for something more.

Blondie surveys the spot thoroughly, making sure there is nothing that will dampen the mood. She would hate it if right in the middle of their romantic moment they spotted a dead animal or something awful like that. After a thorough investigation Blondie decides that this spot is just right. She hops over to Cloe, grabs both the girl's hands and starts spinning. At first Cloe is confused, but eventually she gets into it, her head tilted up to the canopy and her mouth stuffed with laughter as the trees blur orange. Blondie is giggling as well, relishing that fact that she is in the perfect place, with the perfect girl, at the perfect moment.

Eventually dizziness takes hold and the two girls fall to the forest floor on their backs. Blonde and black hair splays out over yellow and orange leafs. Their skirts overlap, grey on blue, and Blondie seeks out Cloe's hand. They're both breathing hard, trying to catch their breath. Blondie looks over at Cloe just as Cloe is turning her way. Their eyes meet and they can't suppress their giggles. Cloe inchworms closer and Blondie can tell that this is the moment. Cloe's cheeks are leaf red and Blondie can't look away from her imploring eyes.

Blondie inches forward just as Cloe closes her eyes and their lips meet, tentatively and tightly puckered. They both move back quickly and giggle. This kiss is reminiscent of their first kiss, Neither of them have ever really kissed a crush before and they are both painfully aware that they have no idea what they are doing. They stare at each other, all red cheeked and desire filled, and then try again. This time neither of them pucker and their lips just kind of… touch, without any movement from either of them. They linger a moment, rubbing their lips together, then pull back and giggle some more. Giggling seems like the only way to release the embarrassment they feel.

They both know that they are failing miserably at kissing, but it doesn't matter because they are failing together, and just the touch of their lips is the sweetest thing either of them have ever experienced. So they try again.

Blondie leans forward, just as Cloe does, and they both pucker in a much more relaxed fashion. Their lips meet and this time, it is just right. This time the spell is cast. This time, Blondie can feel the kiss all the way down to her fingers and toes. Cloe tastes like raspberries and Blondie can't help but think of summer and old abandoned fences covered with ripe fruit. Below the raspberries is the taste of cinnamon and honey and Blondie isn't sure if this is coming from her or Cloe. Kissing Cloe is like a dream come true. Kissing Cloe is like going home.

After this kiss they do not giggle. Cloe looks over at Blondie and pants lightly. Her lips parted as her chest rises and falls rhythmically. She stares deep into Blondie's eyes, completely vulnerable, something she hasn't had the courage to do until now. Blondie brushes Cloe's bangs out of her face and Cloe shuts her eyes, reveling in the touch. At this moment, Blondie realizes that she would do anything for this reluctant Goddess. She is instantly hyper aware of her surroundings as she stares into Cloe's bottomless eyes. Eyes so brown they seem black. She can feel the cold ground underneath her as it seeps through her dress. She can hear the cracking of leafs and the crinkling or their dresses. She can still taste raspberries, and most importantly, she can sense the very real girl inside Cloe. The girl swimming deep within those bottomless eyes. The scared, confused, girl staring down a destiny so heavy it almost isolated her completely.

"I've dreamt about this for the last couple of nights." Cloe reaches up and starts fumbling with the ribbon strung through Blondie's collar again. "Kissing you is all I could think about and all I could dream about. Those dreams, Blondie, I can't even begin to describe them… but this… this was so much better than I ever could've dreamed." Cloe has untied the ribbon and she pulls it out of Blondie's collar, then stands up, her skirt billowing, and dangles it in front of Blondie.

Blondie jumps up and chases Cloe, grabbing at the ribbon. They run up and down the bank of the dry creek, Cloe constantly turning back and laughing, her arms thrown out and the ribbon streaming out behind her. A beautiful smile stretched across her face and her eyes closed to slits. When she finally catches her, Blondie takes the ribbon and ties it around a lock of Cloe's hair.

XXX

A half an hour (and millions of kisses) later, the two girls are back in the dorm. Cloe is apparently doing her thronework, although she really just seems to be staring off into space, smiling, and twirling her pencil. Blondie is staring back at the footage of Apple, Raven, and Daring trying to figure out how to edit it. After a few minutes she realizes she's not going to get anything done, so she clicks over to her pictures. When she posts the mirror cast about Daring everything will change. Her stories will gain national attention and she will have to be more professional. She decides to make a final mirror blog post, before the news breaks.

She starts going through the hundreds of pics she took of her and porcupine Cloe. Blondie, smiling in one picture, huge oven mitts on each hand (thanks to Ginger Breadhouse) and little Porcupine Cloe curled up between them. She posts the picture, a light dusting of red on her cheeks, then clicks back to the footage and starts happily editing.

A few hours later and all the segments are done. Per Raven's directions she makes copies of the two segments and sends them to all of the students she is close to. Thirty copies in total. Then she checks the time and prepares to post the first segment to the mirror net.

XXX

Raven and Cupid are sitting in front of Headmaster Grimm's desk, staring at the smiling Queen White sitting across from them. Raven holds the small vial of potion Cupid had given her to undo what she'd done in her lap.

"It is lovely to see both of you. I hope that your classes are going well." She smiles at both of them in turn. "Headmaster Grimm has caught me up with the situation and it seems that you have submitted to Cupid's request and allowed her to speak with you personally. I also understand that she has given you a potion that will reverse the effects of the magic she cast on you. I decided to pop in and make sure that everyone is happy with the conclusion of these events. So, Raven, Cupid, are you both satisfied?"

"We are." Raven speaks for both of them.

"Well, my dear. No time like the present, drink the potion and return to your normal self." Queen White smiles at Raven.

Raven stands up and uncorks the bottle. A look of victory begins to spread across Snow White's face, but it quickly melts as Raven stands defiantly in front of her and pours the bottle out on to Headmaster Grimm's floor. She corks the bottle once it is empty and places it on Headmaster Grimm's desk.

"I choose not to drink. I choose love. The love of Your Majesty's daughter."

Snow White watches the entire scene unfold, her smile never leaving her lips.

"Well, that was certainly… dramatic. I hate to break this to you, Blackbird, but that is just impossible. I know that the two of you think you are in love, but you are young. This rebellious streak will quiet down as you grow. Apple will fulfill her destiny."

"Permission to speak freely, Your Majesty?" Raven folds her arms.

"Of course, we're all friends here."

"I will be with your daughter and as much as you want me to, I won't use my magic to get her. In fact, it won't be me that makes it happen. It'll be the words of your own daughter that make her mine."

Snow White smiles knowingly. "That is quite impossible, my dear, but I appreciate your honesty and your dedication to my daughter." Snow turns back to Cupid. "Is there anything you'd like to say, my dear?" Cupid shakes her head. "Well, I guess we're done here. Thank you both for your time." Snow gives each of them her best smile as they get up and leave the room.

XXX

Snow White tries to relax during the limo ride home. Daring is in mirror prison and Apple is deep in poisoned sleep, which means Raven's statement that it would be her own daughter that allowed the two of them to be together was impossible, so why was she so nervous? What was this strange nagging at the back of her mind? Why was Raven so confident? What did she have up her sleeve?

Snow White goes over all the ways Raven could find Apple and can't come up with anything. Briar had come to her earlier begging to see Apple, but Snow had turned her down. She didn't really believe that Briar would betray her, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. She clears her head of all these negative thoughts as the limo pulls into her driveway. She's surprised to see that her husband's limo is also just pulling in. She gets out and heads over to meet him.

"Hello Dear, where have you been?" She gives him a kiss that he completely ignores.

"I was out to the cottage to see to our daughter, who has been poisoned, if you don't recall." King Charming's face looks haggard. Deep in Snow's heart she feels a tinge of guilt, but she buries it immediately.

"How is our little Apple Blossom?"

"She looks dead. I had the Doctor check her and he assured me that she is fine. But she looked dead. That is something a father should never have to see." King Charming heads into the house with Snow at his heels.

"Don't you worry about that, you silly goose! Apple's not dead, she's sleeping. Probably dreaming about her Prince Charming."

"You mean the Prince Charming who poisoned her? I highly doubt it." King Charming sits down on one of their pure white couches and turns on the TV. The voice on the TV is talking about some breaking story.

"We can find another Prince Charming, My dear, perhaps Daring's little brother Dex—" Snow White's attention is pulled to the TV when she hears her daughter's name.

"—story is coming from Ever After High on a small mirror blog run by one of the students and it is blowing up. The Princess Apple White is currently fulfilling her destiny. Our source says that she is currently at the cottage and that she has indeed been poisoned. Here is the original mirror cast from Ever After High. The screen cuts to Ever After High. A young Blondie Locks stands next to an incredibly sad looking Daring Charming. Daring's hair is a mess and his cheek is bruised and swollen. Snow White sinks onto the couch next to her husband.

"Blondie Locks here reporting from Ever After High with an hexclusive interview with Daring Charming, who has recently claimed Raven Queen's destiny in the Snow White Story. Daring, please tell us, in your own words, what happened." Blondie pushes her teddy bear microphone into Daring's face.

"Well… A few months ago it came to light that I am not Apple White's Prince Charming. This was a real shock to me and unfortunately, I wasn't able to let it go, so I secretly obtained a poisoned apple, went up to the cottage where Apple was sent by her mother in order to begin her destiny, and gave it to her. I was angry and I acted very un-charmingly towards Apple. I know that I have let the entire kingdom down and of course I have also let my family down. I want to apologize to everyone… especially my father. I'm sorry dad. I intend to report to Headmaster Grimm directly after this interview and accept my punishment." Daring looks down, his face obscured by his long bangs and his shoulder's shaking.

"There you have it, fairy tales. Daring Charming has taken Raven's Queen's place in the Snow White Fairy tale by poisoning Apple White. This is Blondie Locks, reporting from Ever After High. The screen pauses and then cuts back to the regular newscaster. King Charming stands up and puts his crown on his head.

"Well, I guess I better go talk to the press. They're probably already at the gate." He walks out of the door. Snow White wants to stop him, she should be the one to talk to the press, she even reaches out her arm to grab him, but she is in too much shock to actually go through with stopping him.

She sits alone, listening to the newscaster blather on and on about Apple and Daring, while trying to keep a cap on her anger, trying to force it all back down, trying to compartmentalize, trying to smile and be the perfect Queen she was meant to be. But the anger flows too steadily and it is too big. She can't contain it all. She stands up, walks to the TV, grabs it firmly with both hands, and rips it off the wall. The TV shatters at her feet but she has already moved on. She picks up the lamp on the side table and throws it at the wall. She picks up the endurable and throws that. Nothing is safe from her path of destruction.

After about five minutes Snow is standing in a pile of rubble that used to be all of her beautiful things. She's breathing hard.

"Daring, you fucking idiot! What the hell were you thinking and why the hell would you turn yourself in?"

A realization worms it's way into her brain. Snow White runs up the stairs to her room. She throws the door open and stands in front of the mirror trying to catch her breath.

"Mirror Mirror, on the wall, who is the most popular of them all?" She waits.

"Princess Apple White is the most popular of them all." The mirror's voice echoes in the room.

These words, so simply spoken, words that she knew would eventually come, destroy her. She falls to her knees as the tears come. She's not ready for it to be over. She's not ready to stop being Snow White. Her happily ever after, isn't very happy. Controlling the kingdom is the only thing she has left. She rakes her fingernails across her chest leaving bloody red lines and let's out a scream that has been building in her for years. Her hair is a mess and her clothes are torn. She has never looked and behaved so unfairest.

Once the storm has passed and Snow is thinking straight again an idea comes to her. She stands up and looks for her mirror phone. After poking around a bit she finds it and dials Headmaster Grimm. It only rings once.

"Your Majesty, I am so sorry, I had no idea Daring—"

"Can it Grimm. Get that Blondie Locks' computer and make sure she can't post anything else to the mirror net." Snow hangs up the phone and tosses it across the room nonchalantly. She can have all the time she wants. Now that Apple is poisoned with no Prince Charming in sight, she doesn't have to wake up. In fact, Snow can send Princes to try and wake Apple up for years, with Apple's proclivity towards girls, she'll never wake up.

Snow rings the bell for her apple. It's time for bed.


	21. Chapter 19

**Hello Everyone! We are getting close to the end now! Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read this! I'm guessing there will probably be about four more chapters after this one. Pretty good, considering I originally mapped it out with twelve chapters!**

 **As always, please leave a review when you are done reading. I've been having a hard time getting up the energy to finish this mammoth and your reviews always give me such a boost!**

 **Princes, Princesses, and Apple White's Poison Dreams**

Raven wakes up early on Saturday and quickly dresses. She chooses a layered dark blue dress that Apple had bought for her, one that has no evil implications, and she pulls her hair up and to the side, leaving her Evil Queen crown on the vanity. Darling shows up a few minutes later, all soft voice and imposing figure.

"Thank you so much for coming, Darling. I know this will never work, but I have to make it look like I expect it to work."

It's been a week since Blondie's mirrorcast and what a week it has been. As expected, Headmaster Grimm confiscated all of Blondie's electronics. He even went as far as confiscating most of Blondie's friends electronics, but he did not get all the copies of the next mirrorcast. Later that evening, King Charming made an announcement that Apple had indeed been poisoned by her Prince Charming, who, for unknown reasons, had taken the place of Raven Queen, leaving Raven no further part in the story. The entire kingdom went into mourning immediately. Raven knew the people of Ever After loved Apple, but she was shocked by just how much they loved her. People posted rants and raves on the mirror net, people wept, everyone wanted Apple back, but who was her Prince Charming? Over the next few days a steady stream of wannabe princes lined up at the gates to Queen White's part of the enchanted forest. Each one hoping for a chance to kiss Apple White and try their luck.

"Of course, Raven. I'm glad you asked." Darling Holds up different pieces of armor, trying to find the piece that matches best with Raven's outfit. "It must be so hard for you right now, with all these princes."

"It is awful. I can't stand to think about it. What kind of story puts an unconscious woman in a glass coffin and then asks random strangers kiss her. None of these people even know Apple! Shame on them!" Raven Picks up a random piece of armor off the bed and turns it around in her hands.

"Well, I think it is wonderful what you are doing and I want to thank you for having me along. I'm glad to be a part of this statement. Why does it always have to be princes?" Darling finally settles on a set of armor and helps Raven into it. Once she is done she leads Raven over to the mirror and shows her.

"Darling, it's hexcellent!" Raven checks her reflection at every angle in the mirror. The armor matches her dress perfectly. "I feel like a new person!"

""I'm glad. It's nice to dress someone else up in my style and I must say, you wear it well." Darling gives Raven a smile.

"Are you ready?" Raven holds out her hand.

"Let's do this!" Darling takes Raven's hand and the two of them disappear in a cloud of purple smoke.

XXX

Snow White walks up and down the line, accepting condolences and greeting each of the prince's personally. Each prince is quite taken with Queen Snow and they are all at their most charming. She tries to give each one as much hope as possible, but deep down, she is tired.

'All these princes come to wake poor gay Apple White. What a bunch of morons.' she thinks as a giggle escapes her lips. She's been laughing to herself quite a lot recently. She tries to keep it down, but she can't help. It just bursts out of her every now and again. She's noticed a few of the prince's filming her on their mirror phones, which is driving her insane. Why would they be filming her when she can't stop herself from laughing? They are all beasts. Evil beasts, just like her husband.

'I'm not thinking in a way that is fairest.' Snow takes a breath and tries to push her thoughts down and away, but they just won't go away as easy as they used to. Her charming smile is slipping. She can feel it. Perhaps this was a bad idea. Every now and again she catches a prince looking at her in sympathy. She tries not to sneer at the little bastards.

Near the end of the line she is met with Raven queen and Darling Charming. A group of princes around them, filming them with their mirrorphones and asking them questions. This is the reason she came to this god awful show in the first place. She puts on her best smile and heads over to greet the two girls.

"Raven, Darling, how wonderful to see you!"

"Your Majesty." Raven curtsies and Darling bows.

"What are you two doing here?" Snow keeps her intonation under control, making the question sound like it is nothing more than small talk.

"We are here to try and wake Apple," Darling says. "I've woken her once before and Raven has an intimate relationship with Apple, so we feel we might have a better chance than any of these princes, Your Majesty."

"Oh, you two are such wonderful friends to my little Apple, but you don't have to do this. It's a lovely thought, but I don't want either of you acting unmaidenly on Apple's account." Snow can feel her smile slipping.

"Oh no, Your Majesty, It is not a problem for us at all. Anything for Apple." Darling again. Raven stands by watching, her mouth agape at Darling's ability to charm.

"It is very sweet of you, but I just can't let you do this." A very wonderlandian giggle escapes Snow's lips. The crowd around them gasps and many of them turn their phones on the giggling Queen.

"But Your Majesty, we might be Apple's only chance!" Darling's charm slips.

"You are not Apple's only chance!" Snow turns to the bystanders who are all filming her. "Turn of your damn phones! What about this conversation is so interesting that you feel the need to film it? Can't you go a day without those stupid mirrorphones?" The crowd gasps again. Snow can feel the situation slipping form her. She stares at the crowd, wanting to say more, but she knows she must walk away. "Well, thanks for coming, girls, but unfortunately, we can't have you kissing Apple. It just isn't right. Please leave."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Darling puts her hand in Raven's, both of them looking extremely crestfallen, and the two disappear in a puff of purple smoke.

Snow White ignores all the onlookers and heads back to her limo. She was supposed to see Apple today, but she decides against it. Snow knows what it is like to be in poisoned sleep. Everything ceases. No dreams, just a perfect destruction of ego.

What snow doesn't realize is that poison apples affect each person differently. For Snow, there is nothing. For apple there are dreams. Vivid dreams.

XXX

Apple opens her eyes to Raven, arm crossed over her chest holding the opposite elbow, bottom lip pulled between pearly white teeth and, just behind, a hint of pink. They are at some kind of party. A wedding ceremony. The street is dirty and the air hangs with an awful stench. The street is lined with houses, the kind that look quaint in old paintings, but here it seems that everyone is living on top of each other, trying to avoid the dirt, disease, and disgusting habits of their neighbors.

A pause in the conversation. A conversation that never started, will never end, and has been going on in all directions, through infinity, since the moment they met.

"I know I was terrible, Raven. I know that I tried to get you to follow your destiny, but please understand, I was really scared! I believed my parents, and Headmaster Grimm, when they said our destinies were the only things that made us real and they were right, Raven, we are entertainment for another world!" Apple tries to reach out to Raven, but her villain steps back, just out of reach.

"None of this matters, Apple, because I'm not gay. I would never have wanted to be with you if it wasn't for the malicious magic that was cast upon me. I don't know if we were ever really friends. I just… kind of… put up with you. Maddie is my best friend for ever after, so where do you even fit, Apple? Why should I put up with your constant judgement? Your conservatism?"

"No, Raven, I was young when we met. I was sheltered, I didn't realize that everything I believed was spun to look a specific way. You changed all that, but I couldn't set myself free in one day, It took time, but you made me realize so much more. You've made me who I am. You allowed me to be free! That has to count for something!" Apple tries to look into Raven's eyes, but Raven is staring at the ground, her hand on her chin as she thinks.

"Set you free in one day. Set… I've got it! I can set you free!" Raven sits down at a tea table that appears out of nowhere and offers Apple the other seat. The wedding scene dissolves as she sits and is replaced with the walls of her home. They are sitting in the little room reserved for tea parties.

"Why are we here, Raven?" Apple stares down at the exquisitely painted cups and saucers on the table. Each one hand-painted with an apple theme. Some with apple trees, others with bright red apples, her's is a a thin branch with a tiny little blossom, opening shyly for the first time.

"I'm going to set you free. In one day, no less." Raven pulls out a scroll

"How?"

"Easy… magic." Raven unrolls the scroll, it is completely blank. "Draw your self. A self portrait, just like in art class." Raven pushes the scroll over to Apple.

A hiccup in time, an afternoon passing. the world continues to rotate, stories are born, stories die, and Apple White finishes her self portrait. A cute amateurish drawing, just like she used to do in spellementary school. The sun sluices through the tatted curtains and colors her picture orange. She's proud of it. It turned out exactly as she wanted it to. She pushes it over to Raven.

"This is so well done! I'm proud of my little Apple Blossom!" Raven's mouth with her mother's words spilling out. Apple slides back in her chair, startled.

"Are you ready, Apple?" Raven puts both of her hands on the scroll and Apple can feel Raven's hands on her body, as if she were the portrait. She lays back in the chair as a soft moan escapes her throat. Raven's hands, warm to the touch, touching her, glowing purple, casting magic. "Two minus one, release the bad left undone, one for the moon and one for the sun." A blast of purple magic envelopes the scroll and Apple can feel it around herself as well.

"I'll set you free. In just one day." Raven holds up the scroll, portrait towards Apple, and slowly tears it in two. As the tear reaches her portrait, Apple can feel herself tearing in two. She reaches up and feels her head split. She follows the tear down her own face and starts to cry. She tries to push her head and face back together, but they wont budge. She looks back at Raven who is still tearing the scroll, smiling like a true Evil Queen. Apple falls back in her chair, grits her split teeth, and tries to let the process complete.

She can feel parts of her rushing, separating, and flowing to either side. All of her base emotions, her shame, fear, hatred, and jealousy, the bully inside of her that had shaped Daring to her will, and tried to do the same with Raven, the blossoming teenager, masturbating to female models in magazines and then crying tears of pure shame afterwards, the blonde-haired near-sighted guilt, all the things she hates about her self collect in an oily circle, like a yolk, and flow to one side, whereas all of her higher emotions, her love, kindness, and happiness, saving Daring from the dog, her selfless love of destiny, all of these things, pure thin liquid, flow around the oil of her darker emotions, like water, and collect in the other side. Finally, it is done. Two Apple Whites sit on the chair, but she is only one of them.

"But Raven, which one am I?" Both Apples ask simultaneously.

"We won't need her for awhile, so where can we keep her?" Raven asks the Apple to the left of Apple.

"I'm the bad one, aren't I?" Apple brings her hands to her face and looks at the Apple to her left. She draws in her breath as she takes herself in from the third person perspective. How many times has she seen herself in the shrine she calls a mirror and worshipped her own beauty? But this, this is something all together different. Seeing herself as another human being. How many blemishes she'd missed! Her posture is terrible, she is way too skinny and her skin is disgustingly pale. Bones poke out at random places. She is all knees, elbows, and bent back. Bile rises up in Apple's throat at the sight of herself, divorced from herself. She can see the same look of disgust on her twin's face.

"Let's throw her in the well!" Other Apple says as she claps her hands together, a beaming smile crossing her face.

'Just like my mother,' Apple thinks, 'so charming.'

"That is perfect. She can wait there until the end of the story." Raven stands up as she speaks and reaches across the table. The walls melt away as her hands make contact and they are dragging her through a field. Other Apple is singing her favorite song as all the animals line up and watch, happily bobbing their heads in time with the song.

The field they are dragging her through is filled with dry rye and she knows where they are taking her. Fear explodes through her and she starts blubbering, begging them not to do it, crying and struggling, but to no avail. Other Apple and Raven look at each other and smile, as if they were the only two there. They pull her through the remains of an old wooden fence, the old wood scratches her skin and she feels a thousand little splinters bury themselves in her skin. They are close now. They pull her to the side of the well and unceremoniously toss her in. She tries to hold on to the edges, but there is nothing to grab, her hands slip down the rock as she crashes into the water below. For a moment she can see other Apple and Raven peeking over the side. They both smile, and then they are gone.

Apple screams. She begs and pleads, hoping they are still up there. She screams until she is hoarse and tries to climb, splintering her nails on the hard stones. Darkness and silence are her only response, so she treads water, praying that her strength wont give out.

Perhaps, this is what she deserves, she is the bad one after all. She is the one who hurt Daring so badly that he poisoned her to get revenge. She is the one who tried to bully Raven to accept her destiny, she is the one who secretly liked girls. The other Apple, the one out there with Raven, she's the good one. She's the one that will follow her destiny and live happily ever after with Daring Charming.

Her legs pump continuously, trying to keep her head above water, but they are tired. So tired. Too tired to keep it up and she starts dipping under the water. The dirty green water. Her head aches and she realizes she must've hit it on the way down. She's bleeding from her scalp, coloring the green water red. She goes under again, her legs cramping up, but she gains a second wind and pops back to the surface. Unfortunately, this is short lived and she sinks again. This time, her legs won't respond. She is drowning.

Everything is a roaring light-green. She rolls in the water, sometimes she can see her hands, sometimes she can see her feet. A beautiful apple, red and crisp flashes through her mind and she wonders, for just a moment, if she even likes apples. Raven's naked arms, her lips, the feeling of Apple inside Raven, rubbing, caressing, loving her, all of these things are devoured by the green. The green takes her in as she opens her mouth and takes it in. She is part of the murkiness and it is the murkiness inside of her. Green pushes out light and dark and pain and rapture until she is floating in a silent green sky leaving behind nothing but a bright red trail from the back of her head.

Everything outside of her, all of the green, is perfect, but inside something changes. Something is kicking, thrashing, and pushing to be let out. Her body bloats and stretches as she takes green into her lungs and her legs kick involuntarily until every nerve in her is singing. Bubbles well up from her lungs as she sinks.

After years of floating her back finally hits the muddy floor. A cloud of dirt puffs up in the water around her. She lays silently on the floor, stretched out, then sits up and looks around her. This vast expanse of water is much bigger then the well. She can't see anything that will help her understand the size of the watery grave she now inhabits.

She feels something hard and cold underneath her hand. She pulls it out of the mud and stares at it. An old rusty chain, secured to some kind of block. She stands up and follows the chain, pushing through the greenness. Eventually, a dark shape appears before her. she pulls on the chain, which sets the dark shape bobbing. Whatever it is, it is connected to the chain. As she gets closer she realizes it is a body, floating in the greenness at the end of the chain. A body that looks an awful lot like Raven, but isn't Raven.

She pulls the body closer until they are eye to eye.

"Please don't make me put on the shoes. It is a horrible way to die. my skin bubbled as they lowered me into the shoes and then peeled off in layers as they shoved my feet inside. Then they made me dance. They made me dance as my muscles and bones melted and pooled around me. Please, don't put me in the shoes." Not Raven takes Apple's hands in her own.

"Where am I?" Apple stammers, unsure how to respond to the awful things not Raven has just said.

"This is where they put us villains when they are done with us. Some of us were boiled alive, others had their stomachs cut open, and I was forced to wear burning iron shoes and then dance until I died."

"But we don't do that anymore! Nobody dies because of their stories!" Apple tries to pull her hands away.

"But we did, Apple White. All of us did. It doesn't matter to us if you don't do it anymore." The not Raven releases Apple, who falls to the muddy floor and cries.

"I know! I know the entire system is awful! I deserve to be down here! I'm all the bad that lives inside Apple White!"

The not Raven let's out a laugh.

"But you aren't the bad Apple at all, you're the good Apple. The bad apple is up there, with the not Raven."

Apple looks up and it is Raven standing above her. They are in their dorm room and Raven is wearing the layered blue dress Apple had bought for her. She is in some kind of armor, the type Darling wears. Apple grabs Raven's outstretched hand and yanks her into bed with her. They both crawl under the covers and take off their clothes. They make love and reach heights of feeling only possible in dreams.

Afterwards, Apple falls asleep in Raven's arms. Everything in the world is perfect.

Apple opens her eyes to Raven, arm crossed over chest holding the opposite elbow, bottom lip pulled between pearly white teeth and, just behind, a hint of pink. They are at some kind of party. A wedding ceremony. The street is dirty and the air hangs with an awful stench. The street is lined with houses, the kind that look quaint in old paintings, but here it seems that everyone is living on top of each other, trying to avoid the dirt, disease, and disgusting habits of their neighbors.

A pause in the conversation. A conversation that never started, will never end, and has been going on in all directions, through infinity, since the moment they met.


	22. Chapter 20

**Alright lovely readers, we're getting close now! I hope you enjoy this chapter and if you do please make sure to leave a review! Now, more than ever, I want to hear your opinions on my first ever fan fiction!**

 **A newscast, A prisoner, and a broken Queen**

After Headmaster Grimm confiscates most of Blondie's friend's mirrorpads, the job of posting the final segment falls on Cerise. She sits at her desk and waits for her mirrorpad to finish backing up, because after this is posted she knows she'll lose it.

Kitty and Maddie are napping in Maddie's bed, wrapped around each other snoring lightly, so, Cerise spends her time staring at the two of them. They look so comfy spooning the afternoon away. She's been trying so hard to figure out whether she wants to run from this situation and let the two of them be happy, or join in the fun. When she thinks about the concept of having two girlfriends her mind screams out that it is wrong, but she isn't sure she really believes that. Perhaps she is stuck in convention that has been formed for thousands of years. Perhaps she should do what her parents always did, hide, but why does everything in her life have to be hidden?

Her mirrorpad dings, letting her know that it has finished copying. She tears her eyes away from her sleepy girlfriends and logs onto the mirrornet with Blondie's user name and password and uploads the story. Once it is uploaded she logs out of Blondie's account and in to her own. Now that the footage has been uploaded, she take the time to watch it.

"Hello fairy tales, Blondie Lockes here, and like always, I am proud to bring you this weeks news. It seems the hexcitement over last week's video is starting to die down so I am proud to tell you that the story is escalating and that I have footage you're not going to find anywhere else, including a hexclusive interview with Apple White, taken the night before she was poisoned! Thank you everyone for tuning in!" The video opens with Blondie Lockes sitting in front of Apple's desk. After her initial introduction the video changes to a stream of incredibly disturbing images, many of which the fairytale community is incredibly familiar with due to the fact that many of them were used about seventy years back in the initial push for kinder traditions.

The first image shows the corpse of Raven's great-great-grandmother, her feet gone and her legs charred from the ankles to the knees. The next image is Holly and Poppy's great-grandfather with scars all around his permanently removed eyes. The pictures continue showing fairytale violence inflicted on people who just happened to be born in bad rolls in their stories.

"70 years ago the fairytale community came together to confront the staunch ideas of traditionalists. What did they want? The ability to survive their fairy tales unscathed. They wanted to separate the meaningless violence from our traditions, and they were successful. When we look back at the men and women who sided with the traditionalists they seem laughable in their quaintness and dismissible because they were obviously on the wrong side of history. I urge you to watch the following interview with these ideas in mind. Change always looks the scariest when it is first presented, but once you back away, through history, the answer always seems obvious. The night before Apple White was poisoned by her prince, Daring Charming, I had the honor of interviewing her and Raven Queen. They agreed to the interview because they knew that what they had to reveal would be quite polarizing amongst the citizens of Ever After, and it was their hope that everyone heard what they had to say from their own mouths." Blondie's words fade out with the slideshow of the terrible things fairy tales had endured in the past. The next image is Apple White, sitting In front of her desk with Raven Queen beside her. The two girls are wearing absolutely splendid dresses and their hair is swept up beautifully in Poppy O'Hair trademark updos. Blondie is not in the shot, she is obviously holding the mirrorpad, but her disembodied voice floats over the image.

"Hey everyone, Blondie Lockes here with Apple White and Raven Queen. Today I'm going to let them do the talking, as they have an important announcement to make. Take it away, girls." Blondie goes silent for a moment and Apple smiles her most charming smile.

"Hello everyone, my name is Apple White, your future queen, and I wanted to speak with all of you about destiny. Anyone that knows me, knows that I love my destiny and I can't wait to follow it and fulfill my happily ever after." Apple looks over at Raven who nods her head in agreement, obviously incredibly uncomfortable to be on camera. "Well, over the last few months I have had to look at some truths about myself that make me question my destiny." Apple stops and takes a deep breath and looks over at Raven who gives her an encouraging smile and the two link hands. "You all know Raven Queen, the villain in my story, well I'm here today to tell you all that I love her." Apple White pauses and stares into Raven's eyes, letting her last point sink in. "My love for her is the true love our stories hope to inspire. Over the past few weeks I've begun to realize a few things. First off, Daring, I owe you an apology. I know the fact that you couldn't wake me was painful and it really is my fault. I love Raven Queen, and that elbows you out of a story that is just as beloved to you as it is to me. I promise you, Daring, I will do everything in my power to make this up to you. We will find you a story, and it will be a good one! But in my story, there is only one Prince Charming, and it is a Princess Charming, Raven Queen." Apple leans over and plants a delicate kiss on Raven's lips. the video cuts to shaky footage of Apple in her glass coffin at the cottage, obviously taken in secret.

"There you have it folks," Blondie narrates, "The first kiss of that kind ever shown. I know seeing that will shock a lot of people, and many of you will be against it, but I want to reach out to you now and ask you, logically, what can be so wrong with a princess falling in love with her villain? Why can't we show a villain and her princess kissing? These fairytale reenactments are a tradition that is meant to keep our stories alive, so why can't they change, just as we do, from generation to generation? The answer is, they can. In fact, they already have. The fact that Raven will never have to wear iron shoes heated in coals shows that change is possible." Blondie pauses for a moment, then continues.

"This interview with Apple White and Raven Queen was filmed before Daring flipped the script and poisoned Apple White and now it seems the two have switched places. Daring has become Daring Evil Queen Charming and Raven has become Princess Queen Charming, but what of poor Apple? Apple is poisoned and the spell used to poison her was of the true love variety. The last time Apple was poisoned it was not a true love spell, and many have speculated, probably accurately, that the reason that Daring couldn't wake her is because Apple is obviously attracted to maidens, which is why Darling Charming was able to wake her. Well, Darling isn't going to be able to wake her this time. Apple White is in distress and the only thing that stands against her is an old prejudice that villains can't be with their princes and princesses. Well why not? Who are we to stop love? I say we give Raven a chance to wake her true love. Everyone, march to the cottage and demand justice for our soon to be Queen. Let's give her her perfect happily ever after! Let Raven wake her! Thanks everyone, this is Blondie Lockes signing off, probably for quite a while!" the video stops and starts to reload.

Cerise clicks off her mirrorpad and leans back in her chair. Right now that mirrorcast is probably blowing up all over Ever After. Her hand creeps up slowly to her hood and she rubs her ears lightly. Apple's words bounce around inside her head. Why can't the villain love the hero? Everyone is playing their traditional part, but it is all acting, so villains are bound to fall in love with the hero sometimes and vice versa, so what? Cerise has never realized it but, she respects Apple White, like really respects her. Many things will change when Apple becomes Queen. Perhaps, Cerise will be able to wear her heritage proudly.

Cerise let's out a sigh and looks at the two beautiful Wonderlandians sleeping to her right. She thinks back on all the things Kitty had told her and one part sticks out in her mind. Just be you. Kitty has no choice but to be unapologetically herself at all times, and there is something so invigorating in that, so why can't Cerise? Does she really find it morally wrong for three people to be together, or is she being just as blind as other people are about Raven and Apple?

Cerise stares at Kitty and waits for the answer to come to her. Maddie rolls over leaving a space between the two sleepers and Cerise has an epiphany. "I love Kitty. If she is happy, than I am happy." She whispers to herself as she takes off her cloak and climbs in-between the two girls, waking them both up as she does.

She turns to her side, face to face with Kitty who stares at her with groggy eyes and a sly cheshire smile. She can feel Maddie stiffen up nervously behind her

"Hello, Puppy." Kitty lays her hand lightly on Cerise's cheek.

"Hello, Kitty, I'm sorry to wake you but I just wanted to tell you that I love you and that your happiness is my happiness." Cerise grabs Kitty by the neck and pulls her in for a deep kiss. Kitty responds in kind, pushing her body up against Cerise and sending a thrill through her.

After a moment, Cerise reluctantly pulls away. She stares into Kitty's eyes for a moment, then turns over so she can face Maddie.

"Maddie, I love you as a friend now, but I can't imagine it will be that hard for my love to turn into something much deeper." Cerise grabs Maddie's neck and pulls her in for a kiss, just as deep as the one she gave Kitty. Maddie's eyes widen in shock, then close as she explores this kiss. Cerise is a clumsy kisser, but she is urgent and passionate. With a little practice she will be amazing and Maddie is very happy that she will be one of the places Cerise comes to to practice. Cerise parts her lips and meets Maddie's tongue. They playfully touch as Kitty cuddles up to Cerise and starts purring loudly.

XXX

Daring Charming suddenly has a lot of time to think. He's had time to think about how unfair Apple was to him, which he is slowly beginning to realize might actually have been young stupidity, as Apple had explained. He's had time to feel shame and cry over what he'd done. The day after he heard the terrible new, his father had disowned him. Daring is no longer a charming, and he's had plenty of time to cry over that as well.

He's had all his cries, but now he is facing something new, something he doesn't understand.

"What is this elusive feeling I'm chasing?" Daring asks himself.

"I can't even decide if it is a good feeling or a bad feeling. I'll have to compare. I know the feeling before I poisoned Apple White was bad. I felt like everything I loved had been taken away from me. The feeling right after I poisoned Apple White was even worse. I've never felt more awful. But ever since I've confessed I've felt…"

"Better?" Lizzie is taking a seat next to his mirror.

"Lizzie!They let you in to see me!" Daring stands up and runs to the mirror.

"They did, although I didn't really give them much choice. How are you, Daring?" Lizzie puts her hand up to the mirror.

"I was just trying to figure that out, Lizzie, and I think you may be right! I'm feeling better than I have in a long time, but I'm not sure why. I've been disowned by my family, I'm a laughing stock for all of Ever After, but I feel… better. Why would I feel like that?" Daring puts his hand up to the mirror trying to touch Lizzie through the glass.

"Perhaps it's because the possibilities for your future are finally totally up to you?"

"Yes, that must be it. I can be anything now, I don't have to put on a show anymore. I don't have to keep my families honor intact, I don't have to be the perfect prince for Apple anymore, I can just be… myself, although I'm not to sure who that is anymore." Daring sits down next to the mirror and stares at Lizzy.

"Daring, what were you like before you were chosen for Apple? What kind of person were you?"

"Well, that's a good question. Believe it or not, Dexter and Darling were both much better when it came to princely duties. The two of them always had swords in their hands, although I think that was mainly due to Darling, but they kind of left me in the dust. My dad and I didn't really get along. He was always unhappy with me, probably because I didn't ever really apply myself to hero training." Daring stares off into space, trying to stare back into the past.

"What did you apply yourself to?" Lizzie leans back in her chair and lets out a sigh. It had been so much work trying to get in here and now she can relax and just help Daring, the man she finally has to admit to herself, that she loves.

"Well, I was a consummate reader. I loved the old tales, the hero from back in the day, when they weren't just figureheads and politicians like they are now. I think I was more attracted to the old philosophy of being a hero than I was to the modern meaning. Man, I haven't thought about this in a long time!"

"How are they different?" Lizzie smiles. This is the first time she's seen Daring talk this way and it is a good fit.

"Well, the heroes of old had to make real sacrifices. They had to run headlong into situations that often killed them, all to selflessly help someone who couldn't help themselves. Nowadays it is all show. I mean, look at who I tried to be! When did narcissism become an important part of being a hero? I'll be honest Lizzie, I had such high hopes of the prince I would become, but it all seemed to disappear the more I realized what it means to be a prince in this modern age." Daring looks down at his hands as he speaks, trying to find the right words. "You know, Lizzie, you are the perfect example of what a prince used to be. You didn't have to stick through all this with me, and you certainly didn't have to come see me in here, but Lizzie, you've helped me get my life back. You ran into a situation selflessly and helped someone who wasn't able to help himself. How can I thank you?" Daring looks up and catches Lizzie's eye.

"Well, you're making me out to be a lot more than I am. Perhaps I just liked your pretty face!"

"I don't think so," Daring lets out a laugh, "You're an amazing person."

"Well, if you want to repay me just continue to find yourself. I think that mirror prison will be good for you for awhile. They aren't going to properly try you for at least another month and by then Raven will have woken Apple and the world will not be so angry at you. I suspect you will serve a year in here. But while you're here, Daring, work towards becoming the prince you wanted to be." Lizzie gives Daring a smile.

"I think you are right, Lizzie. I will use my time in here wisely and I will secretly hope that you will still be interested in my pretty face when I get out." Daring puts his hand back on the mirror. Lizzie places hers over his.

"Maybe, we'll see." The two stare into each other's eyes, wishing there wasn't a thin piece of glass separating them.

A door opens behind Lizzie.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but time is up." The guard gives a small bow as he speaks. Daring can't help but laugh at the terrified look in his eyes, Lizzie must've given him hell.

"Well, Daring, enjoy your alone time. I will be back to see you soon, I promise."

"Thank you Lizzie, I look forward to your next visit."

Lizzie stands up and heads out of the room. Daring stares at her, trying to remember every curve of her body as she leaves.

XXX

Lizzie mulls over the things Daring said as she walks into town. She considers his ideas, all of them true, as far as she is concerned, well, all of them, but his interpretation of her, but what really sticks in her mind are his eyes, ablaze with passion as he spoke about heroes of times now past. The wonderful Daring she's seen a few times in the past made another appearance today and perhaps this time, he'll be sticking around.

She walks past various shops, not really seeing any of them, her thoughts clouding her vision, until she finds herself passing the Ever After Bookstore. She stops, causing the person behind her to bump into her, and apologizes as she turns and heads back to the store.

The store is quiet and cozy. She walks along the aisles, running her fingers along the spines of the books, wondering. Eventually a bespectacled fairy tale comes up to her and asks if she needs any help.

"I require books on princely philosophy and heroes of the past. Do you have them?"

"I think so. Follow me." The young worker leads Lizzie into the back of the store and points her to a shelf. "They'd all be on this shelf. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, you have been quite helpful, thank you. Now off with you!"

The fairy tale lets out a squeak of fear and runs off. Lizzie turns her attention back to the books. She runs her finger over the titles, wondering which books would make Daring happy. "Slaying and Saving; The life and times of Lance Charming", or, "Strongly, Selflessly, Steadfastly; The heroic philosophy of Forrest Greenwood," or maybe "Maidens and Dragons; Chasing them Both."

"There are too many to decide!" Lizzie leans her head against the shelf. "Well, I'll have to do it the hard way." Lizzie walks up to the front of the store and spots her bespectacled fairy tale. The girl seems to get smaller as Lizzie approaches. "I've decided what I want."

"What can I get for you?"

"I want all of the books on that shelf back there! Do you do deliveries?"

The clerk looks at her with her mouth hanging open. "I'm… sure we can figure it out! Where should we send them?"

As Lizzie completes the details of her purchase she hopes that at least some of the books on the shelf will make Daring happy. She leaves the store with a smile on her face, prepared to take on anything the future will throw at her.

XXX

King Charming is shocked as he pulls up to his castle and sees all the reporters crowding around his gate. They point their cameras in his window, trying to get a shot of him and trying to ask him questions, but he keeps his window up. Once in the driveway and away from all the reporters he heads inside, worried about what he might find.

He can hear his wife screaming the minute he steps inside, something about Apple's own words, and he surveys his living room. Everything is destroyed. Again. All the new furniture reduced to rubble, their new TV smashed on the floor. He lets out a sigh as Frank, his personal dwarf takes his coat.

"What happened, Frank?"

"Another mirrorcast, Your Highness. I've brought my mirrorpad to show you, seeing as the TV is on the fritz again." The dwarf pulls out his mirrorpad and hands it to King Charming. The video is loaded up so he pushes play and watches. When Apple comes on the screen he smiles and caresses the screen. When the video is over he hands the mirrorpad back to Frank.

"Thank you, Frank. Seems like our little Apple blossom is all grown up."

"Indeed, sir. I was quite impressed." Frank smiles knowingly at King Charming.

"Well, I guess I better go see to my wife." King Charming puts his hand on Frank's shoulder and gives it a squeeze, then heads up the stairs to his Queen's personal chambers. It has been awhile since he's been up here. The first thing he notices are the scratches along the walls. He finds his wife in her room, sitting on the broken remnants of her bed, four long gashes open and bleeding on her cheeks. Snow's personal dwarf, Ella, is shaking in the corner, tears are running down her face. King charming motions for her to leave and she gives him a grateful look as she exits. Snow watches her go and then turns her attention on her husband.

"I tried to hold it in, darling, but it all came out. I've lost my magic. I don't know how to be… charming anymore. What is wrong with me?" She holds out her arms to him as she speaks.

King charming navigates the broken furniture, sits down next to his wife, and puts his arms around her.

"You stuffed too much, you're little, there isn't enough room in there for all that sadness and regret." He coos quietly to her while rubbing her hair.

"I am a terrible mother, aren't I?"

"Yes you are. You put all your chips on being a great queen, but you know what? There is time now. You can retire and let Apple try her hand at running the kingdom for a while, and you can focus on being a good mother. Apple loves you, she'll always love you, now you have a chance to earn that love."

"Why are you so smart?" She puts her hand on his cheek.

"I'm not smart, I just know how to prioritize. Something you will need to learn." He covers her hand with his own.

"I need help, darling, I need a break." Tears pool at the bottom of her eyes.

"I know you do, and I'm going to make sure you get it. I'm going to make a call to Dr. Cricket and he will meet you at our summer home for a nice long break. When you come back you can reestablish your relationship with Apple, me, and Raven."

"Still swooping in to save me after all these years." Her tears finally break free and run down her face.

"It's the only thing I'm good at. I would have done it a lot sooner if you'd have let me." He cradles her face and wipes her tears with her thumbs, making sure to avoid her wounds.

"I know, I am a selfish creature and I'm sorry."

King charming stands up and takes her hand. She stands up shakily and heads back downstairs with him. Frank is waiting for them.

"Frank, please take her up to my rooms and make sure she is comfortable. When you are done please get Dr. Cricket on the line."

"Very good, Sir." Frank takes Snow's hand and leads her up the stairs to King Charming's personal rooms. King Charming watches his wife all the way, then turns and puts on his best Charming smile. It is time to talk to the press. Again.


	23. Chapter 21

**I'm so sorry for the long wait for this chapter! I have two excuses! First: the holidays were incredibly busy! Second: I took another job. It was probably a stupid choice considering how busy I already am, but I just couldn't turn it down.**

 **I also want to apologize for taking such a long break right before the climax of this story! You might need to read a couple of chapters back to get yourself back into the world, seeing as this chapter jumps right in!**

 **Only one more chapter to go! I do not intend to write a sequel to this novel. I might right a couple of stories in the same universe, especially Blondie and Cloe, but that is all. There will be more to come, however. This novel is a rough draft and I plan to do a huge overhaul. Once I get done I will repost the second draft and it will be much more flushed out and probably quite a bit longer.**

 **So I hope you enjoy this climactic chapter. On with the show!**

 **XXX**

 **Promises of Winter**

Raven sits at the vanity and stares at her wholly unfamiliar reflection in the mirror. Who is this woman? Where did the girl she was, go? That is an easy question to answer: that girl was swallowed by Apple White. She ceased to exist at the first touch of those soft lips. She drowned in blue eyes and fell forever for the beauty that made everyone else seem mundane.

The woman who stares back at her now, with a purple and black dress made by Lizzie Hearts, armor of silver from Darling, and a coiffure that only the O'hair twins could produce, is preparing to do something the girl never could, take on a kingdom. The plan is simple. She will walk up to Apple White, kiss her, and claim her forever. Unfortunately, the plan is also an affront to the traditional values of most of the fairy tales that live in Ever After. To say the plan is dangerous would be an understatement. One unhinged traditionalist could destroy her. So she looks in the mirror and readies herself. All of her friends huddle in the hallway outside, giving her some time now that they are through, all except Kitty, whose regular breathing as she sleeps peacefully on Raven's wardrobe underscores this moment of fear.

Raven never would've guessed that she'd become the leader of a band of rebels at Ever After High, it just kind of happened that way. From the beginning Raven felt she was unworthy of her status as leader, all she did was make a decision that she felt would lead to her own happiness, and now she is the leader of an even bigger movement.

"Remember who this is for, Raven." She whispers quietly to her reflection and brings an image of Apple up in her mind. Whenever she thinks about Apple it always comes in fractured pieces. Apple's small hand, each finger a work of art, her smile punctuated by two perfect dimples, the taste of her tears… the taste of Apple… Raven can feel the blush spread through her, riding the crest of a wave of pleasure which seems to release every time her thoughts turn to Apple.

"What are you thinking about?" A floating grin says to her right. Raven is so startled her armor rattles.

"Gods, Kitty! You scared the hex out of me!" Raven brings her hand up to her chest. Kitty lets out a giggle as the rest of her fades into existence, her arms around Raven's neck.

"They've done a great job, you look… powerful." Kitty rubs her hand appreciatively over Raven's shoulder armor.

"Is this really me, Kitty? You asked me what I was thinking? I'm wondering if I can pull this off. Darling would do so much better than me, I feel like I've somehow unwittingly fooled everyone into thinking that I'm some kind of great leader, when I've actually done everything for purely selfish reasons." Raven puts her hand over Kitty's and sighs.

"You're at the most important part of the story, Raven. Our brave hero is filled with self-doubt, will she be able to do what is necessary to save her poisoned princess?" Kitty gracefully brings the back of her hand up to her forehead and poses dramatically. Raven can't help but giggle.

"I'm no hero, Kitty. That's Darling's thing."

"Ah, but you are. You are the very definition of a hero. When you boil it down, all heroes basically do the same thing. They challenge the status quo. They buck the system. They do what others say they cannot. They challenge convention, and you, my dear, are challenging convention." Kitty languidly moves to Raven's other side in the looking glass, her grin bigger than normal, something Raven didn't think was possible.

"But I'm nothing special." Raven stares at herself in the mirror.

"The real secret, Raven," Kitty brings her lips close to Raven's ear, her breath tickles, "is that no hero is." Kitty pulls back and pats Raven on the back. "But you are asking the wrong questions, love. The real question is: do you have a choice?" Kitty stares at her in the mirror.

"No. I don't think I do."

"That is what bravery really is, want overcoming fear. What you should be worried about, is what you are actually fighting."

"Huh." Raven turns away from the looking glass and stares at Kitty. "What am I fighting?"

"Jealousy, for starters, and I don't mean petty jealousy like someone who is jealous you snagged Apple White, I mean the deep jealousy we all feel when someone acts unconventionally in front of us. Why do we get so angry, why are so quick to judge those who live differently than us? Because we all have unconventional parts of ourselves and we are taught to suppress them from an early age, when we see someone else refusing to suppress their unconventional beliefs it makes us jealous, because we are still repressing ours. That is your first enemy. The second enemy is fear, fear that if we all abandon convention and let our freak flags fly the world will break down into animal madness. The first enemy is not based on any discernible truth. The problem with the second enemy is that it absolutely speaks the truth." Kitty fades to transparency and then solidifies.

"How can I fight, Kitty?"

"You fight ideas, with ideas! The best way to fight jealousy, is to ignore it. You've already got that technique down. This is your life, if you love Apple White enough to fight for her, than you don't need to answer to anyone. It's true love, which is hard to deny! Fear is the hard one. While this particular brand of fear speaks the truth, it couches it in a fallacy. If we got rid of all convention we'd be animals, sure, but is that really what you are asking? Is pushing for the right for one person to have the freedom to choose who they fall in love with really questioning all tradition? If we let villains switch places with heroes will the entire tradition fall apart? No! When people come at you with nothing but anger and screams, ignore them, that is jealousy, when someone comes at you with logic, stating that this is the first step towards a complete breakdown of tradition, respond over and over again that you do not despise tradition as a whole, but you do believe that certain rights should be considered as the times change." Kitty looks at Raven, who nods her head, even though she doesn't really feel like she gets it. "And Raven, your most potent weapon, the one you should use above all else, is your love for Apple White. Don't be coy about this. Be strong, be forward, and claim your love for all the word to see. If you seem wishy-washy at all, jealousy will take over. You must show that your love is undeniable."

Raven nods again, this time with a stern face and a determined air. Her love for Apple White is the one thing she understands.

"Go get them, Birdie!" Kitty gives her a squeeze and fades out slowly.

Raven gives herself one more look in the mirror and stands up. It's time to take on a kingdom.

XXX

Raven uses her magic to transport herself, Lizzie, and Darling to the Enchanted forest. Kitty teleports with Cerise and Maddie. The predetermined meeting spot is in a secluded part of the forest a little ways from the huge line of waiting people. Cupid, Dexter, Blondie, and Cloe are waiting there for them with a bright white horse.

Cupid hops over and gives Raven a hug. "You look beautiful, Raven!"

"Thanks, I had a lot of help." Raven looks over at Lizzy and Darling and gives them a nod. Darling gives a small bow and Lizzie nods her head slightly. Blondie pulls out a mirrorpad that isn't hers and starts recording. Dexter leads the horse over to Raven.

"Thanks for the horse, Dex." Raven smiles as she pats the horse's neck.

"Of course! It's the least I could do. We are all rooting for you, Raven. Even Daring… he wanted me to tell you that." Dexter's eyes go a little misty and Raven puts her hand on his shoulder, then turns to Cloe, who is standing very quietly at her side. Raven smiles and gives the shy girl a moment to say what she needs to say.

"Raven, this moment changes everything." As Cloe speaks she opens her hands into a cat's cradle and a huge twisted ball of thread appears between them. "This knot represents the thread of each and every person here. Not just us, but everyone here to watch as well. Once you've embraced this aspect of your destiny and started up the path towards Apple White this knot will untangle and rearrange itself until the possible futures realign. I can't change what is about to happen, but I can help a little." Cloe concentrates hard and stares at her hands. Black flames erupt around her and engulf the ball of thread between her fingers. Suddenly, Raven feels a surge of energy shoot through her body. It is as if she is in complete bodily and mental health. The fear is still there, but now she is able to fight it easier. Now, she feels like she can take on the whole world.

"Wow, that's awesome, thanks Cloe!" Raven gives her a hug, forgetting who she is hugging, and Cloe stiffens up. Raven lets out a laugh and squeezes a little tighter. Cloe relaxes into the hug for a split-second and then breaks away, runs over to Blondie, and takes her arm.

"Thank you, everyone, I couldn't have done any of this without you. I'm going to go get my girl!" Raven jumps onto the horse amidst cheers of approval. She gives the horse a light tap and leads it onto the road. Her friends fall in, creating a protective barrier around her.

It only takes them a few moments to reach the crowd and Raven's breath catches in her throat. She didn't expect this many people. The minute the girls come into view the crowd erupts in cheers. Raven's spirits lift, even though she can hear some taunts underneath the cheers.

As they turn the corner and head down the road that will lead her to Apple, Raven begins to read all of the signs people are holding. Most of them express love for Apple White, others for her, and a large chunk of them just say "Let her try." Those are the good ones, at least. The bad ones say things like "Villians are not for loving", and "Go home Raven." The roar of the crowd is overpowering and Raven can't hear anything but the continuous white noise of cheers. The faces are also hard to focus on. There are so many of them. Some of them smiling and blowing kisses, other frowning and giving her an angry thumbs down.

At first, Raven tries to look at every person, but this proves to be impossible. When she looks around her fear spikes, so she just stares ahead, determined to keep her face neutral. She begins to relax and take note of the distance to the end of this horrendous line.

Everything goes well until she gets about two thirds down the line. At first, Raven thinks it's raining. She can hear a sound that has to be rain. A few seconds later she realizes that it isn't rain: it's rocks and dirt. The faces around her are all sneering and every person she can see is grabbing handfuls of dirt and rocks and throwing them at her! Raven brings her hand up to cover her eyes as Kitty and Cerise jump into action. She can see them whip through the crowds, knocking dirt and rocks out of people's hands. Her love for the two of them swells inside her and forces her to smile, just as her head explodes in pain and the world starts spinning. Her ears ring as she reaches up and touches the spot on her head that hurts. Her hand comes back red with her blood. She can feel it dripping down her cheek and into her ear.

Raven leans forward onto the horse's neck trying not to fall off. Suddenly Darling is behind her, directing the horse.

"Raven, are you okay, let me see." Darling's gentle hands pull lightly at her hair. It's a pretty good cut, you should be al… ow! Who threw that?!" The sound of rocks hitting armor fills Raven's ears and all she can do is wonder, why do people care so much?

A new sound slowly floats towards Raven. The sound of armor and people yelling.

"Raven, you're not going to believe this," Darling's voice, "but Snow White's dwarves… all the dwarves… they're protecting you! Look up, Raven, they're helping you!"

Raven lifts her eyes slowly, her aching head crying out in protest, and tries to focus on the world around her. It is just as Darling said. The Dwarves are forcing everyone to stop throwing rocks. But why would Snow White… The question isn't even important. All that matters is Apple, and they are helping her. Raven sits up straight in the saddle. The pain will have to wait, right now it is her time. Her and Apple!

With the help of the Dwarves Raven and her friends make it to the end of the spectators. A group of Dwarves hold the people back as Raven and her party turn off the main road onto a small trail. The roaring quiets down with every step. Once they are out of view, Raven and Darling dismount. Raven is instantly surrounded with concerned friends. Raven is about to push them away, but Darling comes to the rescue.

"She's fine, everyone. It looks worse than it is. Let her do what she came here to do." Darling's words, as if magic, force her friends to part and open up the path. Raven stumbles forward, over a small hill. Soon she can see the cottage and in a clearing nearby, Apple's glass coffin. A group of people are gathered in front of the coffin. Raven scans the crowd, looking to see who will block her. Looking especially for Snow White, who doesn't seem to be present. Headmaster Grimm is there with his brother, but he does not step forward. One man, breaks from the crowd and walks towards her. King Charming. Raven grinds her teeth in anger.

"Raven, on behalf of the Charmings and the Whites, I want to thank you for coming here to try and wake my daughter. I know that your journey here, much more than all of the other princes, was much harder." King Charming's eyes linger on the blood oozing from Raven's scalp and his eyes are soft. "Please know that you wake Apple with the blessing of the king."

Raven looks around at her friends in shock. They're all smiles. Darling gives her a light shove towards Apple and Raven staggers forward.

"Everything is perfect." Raven thinks to herself. She looks up at the old tree limbs stretching over the clearing, dappled in yellow and orange. Rays of sun, broken by the ancient trees, spotlight the forest floor, carpeted in browns and yellows. The satisfying crunch of dry leaves underfoot and the crisp taste of mountain air, hints at the winter soon to come. "Apple, I will wake you with a kiss steeped in autumn. I will kiss you in leafs cherished by sun and rain, leafs coddled by fall. My breath will contain the promise of winter, our first season together after this deed is done. I will kiss you with the promise of homemade scarves and hot chocolate, Love letters and video games, homework and novels.

Raven can't hold back her tears as she finally approaches the coffin. The things is all gold, glass, and sparkling sun reflecting in her eyes. Dwarven made and so beautiful, but it is nothing compared to the girl inside. Apple's golden curls, her pink lips parted in sleep, her thin fingers splayed across her chest, her gown of red, white, and gold, her face, shockingly pale, everything so disjointed Raven can't seem to figure out where to look because all of it is Apple White! Her Apple White!

And then the lid is off, probably removed by the dwarves, and Raven is on her knees. Apple's scent is a cloud all around her and the words that she had memorized and intended to speak before she woke Apple, the words that every Prince Charming speaks to his Snow White, fail her. Now that she is here, this close to her love, what use are scripted words when her poor, beautiful Apple is waiting for her? Raven leans into the coffin and plants her lips delicately on Apple's.

She had intended to just give her a peck and be done, but now that she is here, with her lips on Apple's she can't pull herself away. She feels a current flowing between them, but her eyes are closed so she can't see the small purple and white ball of energy forming between them. It starts out as nothing more than a small speck of light but it gathers energy from the kiss and grows brighter and brighter. In fact it is so bright that Raven pulls away and looks down. She reaches out and take it in her hands. sunlight in her palm. She holds it close to her chest and turns around so everyone can see.

"Look what we made!" and just as she finishes speaking, the ball explodes. A second sun, sapping all the color from the forest. Everyone around falls to their knees, except Cupid, who stands tall, taking in everything. Cupid, the only one awake to experience this sensation During Raven and Apple's first kiss, tries to remember every moment of her first actual experience seeing true love's kiss, but afterwards she will only be able to tell people that for the first time, even her knees went weak.

Everyone else, falls. The crowds lining the street near the cabin are all floored. everyone must fall to their knees until the light dies down and color begins to return. The world is silent. People slowly look around them, wondering what to say. In the clearing, Raven stands tall in front of everyone, her hands empty and shaking, when a small voice tinkles from behind her.

"Raven?"

"Apple!" Raven flips around and jumps into the coffin with Apple, who is holding her arms out to her.

"Raven, you did it. You told a story people want to read."

"Apple, you're awake, you're finally awake! I'll never let you go again! This will never happen again!" Raven rains sprinkles and tears down on Apple's face.

"Of course, Raven. Now we can do what we want. Our burden is done. We told the story people wanted to hear." Apple's voice is far away, as if she isn't completely awake.

"Apple, I have no idea what you're talking about, are you okay?" Raven runs her hand across Apple's forehead.

"Sorry, Raven. I saw some really weird shit out at the cabin… Raven, am I the bad Apple, or the good Apple?" Apple's eyes blink open, but they are still far off.

"You are the only Apple, my dear." Raven rests her hand on Apple's cheek.

"Raven? Raven!" Apple's eyes snap into focus. "I'm awake?"

Raven nods.

"You did it! You did it! Raven, I knew you could do it!" And Apple is wiggling, trying to get closer to Raven, covering her in kisses until she finds her mouth and kisses Raven with everything she has. Apple tries to pour everything she is feeling into Raven through her lips and Raven can't help but to reciprocate. Everyone standing around the coffin turn away to give the girls a little privacy, everyone but Kitty.

XXX

 **Thanks for sticking with me through this novel. Every little comment I get from you guys makes me so happy and they really keep me going. In fact, while you are here, please drop a quick review, I will appreciate it!**


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